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Miller predicts most PLP MPs will be ‘gone’ after election By SANCHESKA DORSETT Tribune Staff Reporter sdorsett@tribunemedia.net TALL PINES MP Leslie Miller said yesterday he believes most of his parliamentary colleagues will be “gone� after next year’s general election. Mr Miller also said this will be an “extremely tough� election for the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) and predicted there will be “massive changes� in the House of Assembly after the 2017 vote. In an interview with The Tribune, Mr Miller said people are angry and frustrated and “will demand change� when they head to the polls. He said the expected “mass exodus� of current parliamentarians will not be about what the Free National Movement has to offer but a reflection of “how bad� people be-
lieve the Progressive Liberal Party has been in office. Mr Miller admitted that the government could have done more to assist the public during tough economic times but said the FNM is no better and has not offered any alternative solutions. “This election is the most crucial election since 1967 and will take us into a new future,� Mr Miller, who served as minister of trade and industry in the first Christie administration, said. “This will not be easy and we cannot take anything for granted. The people are upset, the people want change, they don’t care about Dr Minnis and the FNM, people vote governments out because their hate for that group exceeds their dislike for the other guy. SEE PAGE THREE
By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
100 YEARS YOUNG FOR CECELIA
DR JAMES JOHNSON to disregard recommendations on the appointment of two foreign doctors. SEE PAGE SIX
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net A HARBOUR employee was found murdered in his apartment in Freeport on Tuesday morning after he did not show up to work. The victim, Dwayne Jackson, a courier employed at the Freeport Harbour, was found stabbed to death shortly before 11am inside his unit at the Maxim Court Apartments, off Ponce de Leon Drive. The Tribune understands that a female co-worker, who had gone to check on Jackson after he did not report to work, saw blood seeping from underneath the apartment’s door and alerted the police. This latest incident pushes Grand Bahama’s murder count to 16 and is the 94th homicide for the country this year, according to The Tribune’s records. SEE PAGE THREE
MINNIS: BTC PROBE JUST A DISTRACTION BY GOVERNMENT
HOSPITAL CHIEF OF STAFF QUITS AMID FIGHT ON DOCTORS’ PAY THE shock resignation of the Princess Margaret Hospital’s medical chief of staff yesterday is symptomatic of deeper discord between public health administrators and physicians, according to the Consultant Physicians Staff Association (CPSA) . Just four months into his second term, MCS Dr James Johnson resigned with immediate effect after reaching an impasse with the Public Hospitals Authority over its decision
HARBOUR WORKER FOUND STABBED DEAD IN HIS HOME
CECELIA Smith celebrated her 100th birthday with family and friends at St Joseph’s Day Care Centre yesterday. See page two for more. Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
UNIONS CALL ON WORKERS TO SUPPORT BLACK FRIDAY MARCH By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net
THE country’s two umbrella unions yesterday put their support behind the upcoming “Black Friday� protest, calling for Bahamians and workers throughout The Bahamas to come out and “display their displeasure� in the country’s cur-
rent state of affairs. Trade Union Congress (TUC) President Obie Ferguson, along with National Congress of Trade Unions Bahamas (NCTUB) President John Pinder, who is also the president of the Bahamas Public Service Union (BPSU), called on workers to “make an effort� to be a part of the march in order to “demonstrate your
rights as a Bahamian.� The two union leaders made their statements during a press conference in Rawson Square, which was attended by a number of representatives of various civic, religious, and environmental groups who put their support behind the upcoming march. SEE PAGE SIX
coming soon to Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
By SANCHESKA DORSETT Tribune Staff Reporter sdorsett@tribunemedia.net  FREE National Movement Leader Dr Hubert Minnis said yesterday that the government’s probe into the sale of the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) to Cable and Wireless (CWC) is nothing more than “distraction� from the country’s real issues. In an interview with The Tribune, Dr Minnis said the government is using this probe to divert the public’s attention away from a proposed $2.1 billion agri-fisheries venture with Chinese investors. SEE PAGE SIX
ALLEN: URBAN RENEWAL LOANS BETTER LATE THAN NEVER
By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net THE impact of the government’s “11th hour� bid to institutionalise the Urban Renewal 2.0 programme will not be fully realised until next term, according to Urban Renewal Commission Co-Chair Algernon Allen. Just months away from a general election, Mr Allen acknowledged that the optics of the government’s tabling of the Urban Renewal Authority Bill, which will empower the proposed statutory body to grant loans, SEE PAGE SIX
November 25th 2016
100
PAGE 2, Wednesday, November 23, 2016
THE TRIBUNE
years
young CECELIA Smith at her 100th birthday celebration party at St Joseph’s Day Care Centre.
CECELIA Smith pictured with her family. From left, Liz Smith, daughter; Sharnette McKinney, granddaughter; Leisa Forbes, granddaughter; Sharmaine Farah, granddaughter; Sherone Smith, granddaughter; Naomi Knowles, daughter; and Donelle Demers, granddaughter.
Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
CECELIA Smith tucking into dinner at her 100th birthday celebration party.
THE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, November 23, 2016, PAGE 3
Under-18s are largest age group in New Providence By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net PERSONS under the age of 18 represent the largest age group in New Providence, according to 2016 projections by the Bahamas Department of Statistics. The report, prepared by the Census Section of the department for the Constituencies Commission, shows a population increase on the island of 17,152 persons or 6.9 per cent over 2010’s count of 248,948.
The age grouping of zero to 17 years-old accounts for 30 per cent (79,870) of the total population, with men in this category holding a slim majority of 51 per cent. The second highest grouping is the 21 to 25 age bracket with a population of 21,720, which represents 8 per cent of the total population. In this grouping, there are only 30 more men than women. Based on these figures, Millennials - persons between the ages of 18 and 35 - represent 28 per cent
(74,970) of the total population. While Baby Boomers, those between the ages of 55 and 70, represent 11 per cent (29,410) of the total population. The report, obtained by The Tribune, also delineates the figures by 2012 electoral boundaries to aid commission members seeking to make adjustments to the boundaries given the low registration numbers. Centreville and Bain and Grants Town are projected to have the largest constituencies, and of those fig-
ures, there were 12,849 and 12,337 persons aged 18 and older respectively. Constituencies projected to have the smallest population sizes are Yamacraw (8,578) and Pinewood (9,852), the only two areas with figures under 10,000. Women represented 51.9 per cent of the total population, and surpassed the total of men in all constituencies with the exception of Centreville. In that district, there were just 106 more men (8,137) than women (8,031). The largest gender gap was represented in
Mount Moriah which was projected to have 843 more women (5,725) than men (5,281). During the 1990 to 2000 period, New Providence saw an increase of roughly 28 per cent. However, the island dropped to an 18 per cent increase in the following decade. Commission Chair and House Speaker Dr Kendal Major confirmed to The Tribune last week that the Progressive Liberal Party government has made clear its intention to create addi-
tional seats. In 2011, the boundaries report set a standard of no more than ten per cent (418 voters) over or below the average of 4,178 voters per constituency. The proposed distribution produced a range of 626 voters with a high of 4,537 registered voters in Englerston (formerly St Cecilia) and a low of 3,923 in Elizabeth. In the 2016 report, Englerston was projected to have a population size of 13,586, and Elizabeth 10,048.
MILLER PREDICTS MOST PLP MPS WILL BE ‘GONE’ AFTER ELECTION from page one
INVESTIGATORS at the building in Grand Bahama where a man’s body was found. People had gone to investigate after the man didn’t show up at work.
HARBOUR WORKER FOUND STABBED DEAD IN HIS HOME from page one
When The Tribune arrived at the scene, the entrance of the apartment complex was cordoned off by police and a team of officers could be seen at an upstairs unit on the eastern side of the two-story building. A hearse was also parked outside and a number of onlookers, including relatives and co-workers of the deceased, were standing in the area, some just outside the entrance gate to the apartment. Superintendent of Police Mactavus Daniels, officerin-charge of special projects in the Grand Bahama district, told reporters that police received a call around 10.50am that a body was found at an apartment in Maxim Court. He said police responded and discovered the body of a black male, dressed in short pants, lying on the floor in front of a bed with injuries about the body. When asked the victim’s age or how long he may have been dead, Supt Daniels said police did not have that information at the time. A pathologist was taken to the scene by police shortly before 1pm and pronounced the man dead at
TO ADVERTISE IN THE TRIBUNE, CONTACT 502-2394 POLICE cordoning off the scene in Grand Bahama yesterday.
Photos: Vandyke Hepburn
the scene. “We are now in the initial stages of our investigation,” said Supt Daniels. “The person is dead, and the doctor has confirmed that (for us) and we are trying to find out exactly what took place here.” Supt Daniels also reported that the victim’s vehicle – a white Honda Accord sedan, licence plate number 44040 - is missing. “It is a vehicle of interest to us and so we are asking persons to assist us in locating that vehicle so we can bring some resolution to this matter,” he said. As Supt Daniels spoke to reporters, loud cries were heard in the distance from the victim’s sister. She was emotional and had to be held up and restrained by other relatives at the scene. Supt Daniels said police are presently questioning some persons. “I am unable to say at this stage exactly where that is going to lead us, but we have persons in our custody who we are talking to with respect to this matter,” he said. Anyone with information on this crime is asked to call police at 919, the Central Detective Unit at 502-9991 or the Crime Stoppers hotline anonymously at 328TIPS.
LESLIE MILLER “So people don’t think the FNM is good, they just think the PLP is bad and if the people vote for their member of Parliament based on the leader of this party, then God help us all,” Mr Miller said. “People are frustrated. They are still catching hell since the hurricane, losing their homes, Baha Mar still closed and people cannot pay their rent. Someone is going to have to bite the bullet. There are many ways we could have assisted in Parliament but someone has to step up to the plate and say enough is enough. These people want help and it is our obligation to help them. These people aren’t asking for much. “They only want to live halfway decent lives, not ducking the rent man or BEC. They want to be able to feed their kids in the morning and give them six dollars to buy lunch but the people are catching hell. Someone has to step up to the plate or we will be history.” Mr Miler said Bahamians are no longer interested in politicians who “pretend to care” and do nothing. He said many of his colleagues will be in for a rude awakening next year. “People have to be able to see what you are doing, that fake stuff is not cutting it any more,” Mr Miller said. “These MPs need to step up to the plate. The PLP and the FNM, they are all the same. No one wants to take a stand, so they will have to get out the House (of Assembly). There will be massive changes in that place. People have come to me and said ‘Sorry Mr Miller, you are a part of that group so you will have to go to.’ It may be my fate again but it won’t just be me. Plenty of them won’t be there, there will be a totally different House next election. You mark my words.” Mr Miller said if he is sent home, he would thank the people for the time he has served and then “get on with his life.”
PAGE 4, Wednesday, November 23, 2016
THE TRIBUNE
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Canada not immune to ‘hate wave’ TORONTO - A high-profile political commentator and former White House policy adviser warned Tuesday that the same class tensions and divisive forces that swept Donald Trump to power could easily take root in Canada, adding it would be “irresponsible” to pretend otherwise. Van Jones, a CNN political contributor, said the “hate wave” that has stirred vigilante behaviour and prompted gatherings of apparent Nazi-affiliated groups is playing out in all Western democracies, and anyone who thinks Canada will be spared is wrong. “The working classes, especially the white working classes, feeling rightfully thrown under the bus and left behind, are reacting in ways that are shocking, in ways that I think are unfair, in ways that are unfortunate and sometimes that are xenophobic and racist,” he said. “It is happening all across the Western democracies and it can happen in Canada, too.” Jones, who emerged as a strong voice during the US election campaign that ended earlier this month with Trump’s stunning victory, was in Toronto to discuss what a Trump presidency will mean for the US and its northern neighbour. He delivered a keynote address in the city at an event organised by the Broadbent Institute. Speaking before the event, Jones said everyone, no matter where they fall on the political spectrum, must remain vigilant to keep class and racial tensions from turning into violence. “Every single part of civil society in Canada, the United States and around the world needs to get very vocal right now, needs to stand up right now,” he said. “If anybody thinks they can just stand back and hope for the best ... if you think that standing back and giving this guy a chance means giving him a pass on stuff you wouldn’t let your kids do, stuff you wouldn’t let your next door neighbour’s kids do, then you’re not paying attention,” he said. “We are so far now past left versus right, this is no longer a left-right issue. ... It is wrong for any political party to get ahead by picking on defenceless groups and small groups and minority groups, and then to turn your head when the violence comes,” he said. “That is irresponsible.” The Republican party itself will have to do its part to keep Trump in check, he said, because with control of the White House, House of Congress and Senate, “whatever happens now ... that’s on them”. “If they fail to hold Donald Trump to the same standards they were hounding Hillary Clinton on, that’s on them as well — and the whole world is watching,” he said. Most people who voted for Trump don’t espouse xenophobic views, but the fact that neo-Nazi groups have openly expressed their support for the presidentelect shows how irresponsible his campaign was, Jones said. A video by the Atlantic that was taken inside a meeting of the National Policy Institute — a think-tank that is part of the alt-right movement that includes neoNazis, white supremacists and anti-Semites — showed the group’s leader shouting to a crowd of about 200 people: “Hail Trump, hail our people, hail victory!” as some attendees lifted their hands in a Nazi salute. Trump condemned the National Policy Institute in an interview with New York Times editors on Tuesday. Though he won the electoral vote, Trump does not have the mandate to car-
ry out the most dangerous of his policies, and if he attempts to do so, his own base will crumble, Jones said. That could leave the Republican party with a difficult decision: stand by Trump or listen to constituents, he said. After the Republican’s win, Jones called the election results a “whitelash” against a changing country and, in part, against its current black president. Jones, who was recently called a “Star of the 2016 Campaign” by The New York Times, is also a civil rights activist and founded multiple social enterprises including the Dream Corps, which promotes innovative policy solutions. Trump has threatened to tear up the North American Free Trade Agreement unless he gets concessions from Canada. He has also promised to pull the US from various international climate agreements. By Paola Loriggio, The Canadian Press
Trump shift on global warming WASHINGTON (AP) — Presidentelect Donald Trump appears to be softening his tone on whether climate change is real and on his stated plans to scrap the recent multinational agreement to limit carbon emissions. In a wide-ranging interview on Tuesday with editors and reporters at The New York Times, Trump said he would “keep an open mind” about the Paris accord, which he has repeatedly said he planned to either renegotiate or cancel if elected. Trump was also reported to have affirmed in the interview held two weeks after the election that human activity and global warming may be linked. “I think there is some connectivity,” he said. “Some, something. It depends on how much.” That’s a significant shift from Trump’s past statements that climate change is a “hoax” perpetrated by the Chinese to make US manufacturing less competitive. Trump has also cited winter cold snaps as evidence that climate change is a “con job” and a “myth”. “The entire country is FREEZING — we desperately need a heavy dose of global warming, and fast! Ice caps size reaches all time high,” Trump tweeted during a 2014 blizzard. If he doesn’t change course, Trump would become the only head of state on the planet to deny the reams of scientific evidence that the Earth is warming, according to a Sierra Club compilation of public statements by the leaders of the 195 nations recognised by the State Department. While Trump’s climate-change denial has become orthodoxy within the Republican Party, it is at odds with the overwhelming consensus of the world’s scientists. According to NASA, 97 per cent of the climate scientists agree that the world is getting hotter and that man-made carbon emissions are to blame. Ten of the warmest years in history have occurred in the past 12, with 2016 on pace to be the hottest ever recorded. Studies show the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets have decreased in mass, while the world’s oceans have risen on average nearly 7 inches in the last century. Despite his public stance as a politician, there is evidence that Trump the billionaire businessman was already hedging his bets. Earlier this year, the Trump International Golf Links and Hotel in Ireland cited the threat of sea-level rise in a permit application to build a nearly two-mile-long stone wall between it and the Atlantic Ocean. Michael Biesecker, Associated Press
Slippery facts on oil for Brave EDITOR, The Tribune. IT really is disturbing when a senior Minister can’t get the facts correct even when he is fudging? Minister ‘Brave’ Davis your BP&L ex-BEC bill decreased from 2012 to now by 40%. Untrue... can’t get the facts correct even when politically spinning, Editor. May, 2012 price per barrel was +- $106-110.00 a barrel. August 2016 price per bar-
rel was +- $41.00 a barrel. The PLP Government did absolutely nothing to reduce the price of electricity except wake up in the morning and pretend they were working. Like all the other political promises in your 188 page Manifesto all lies, promises you knew you could not cause to happen. We had more blackouts between May 2012 and now than ever before - BP&L were totally caught napping
when hurricane Matthew came along, fast fast asleep. Doc Minnis - solarising Nassau will not work - DNA waste to energy is the same proposal as those fellas put into the PLP and all the fuss with the ILO. By the way, expect the price of oil to increase in 2017 to approx $70.00 per barrel. W THOMPSON Nassau, November 18, 2016.
Regulating regulator in Freeport EDITOR, The Tribune. I GET highly upset every time I see a story in your paper’s Business Section that contains the untrue and inaccurate statement suggesting that the Grand Bahamas Port Authority (GBPA) is the regulator for electricity or telecommunications in Freeport or, of its own volition, has any regulatory powers over these utilities in Freeport. A simple reading of the Schedules to the Hawksbill Creek Agreement (HCA) will put an end to that theory. Under the HCA, one of the GBPA’s functions is the business licensing authority for anyone wanting to do or doing certain specified businesses within a land mass called the Port Area (a/k/a Freeport/Lucaya). For certain categories of business that are defined or described in the HCA, the GBPA is given exclusive right to licence such businesses to operate in Freeport/Lucaya. However, those Schedules were written over 60 years ago and do not take into consideration the more recent movement nationally and internationally towards licensing and regulation by sectoral and other regulators. Thus while a bank might need a GBPA licence to operate in the Port Area, the GBPA has no statutory or other right to regulate such a bank; that is the statutory right of the Central Bank and other designated agencies. The same rationale applies to a great many other economic or business endeavours in Freeport: lawyers, doctors and other medical professions, accountants, architects, engineers, airports, seaports readily come to mind. Whatever regulatory authority the GBPA has under the HCA, such as water quality, they are given to the GBPA under regulations issued by the Government, not because of the GBPA’s status as licensing authority. GBPA licensees are no less subject to the laws of The Bahamas as is anyone else carrying on a business
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net or profession anywhere else in The Bahamas and might also be subject to being regulated by a regulatory body or agency. So this brings us to the reason for this letter arising from the stories in your paper’s Business Section on 14th and 15th November regarding the GB Power Company (GBPC) recovering a purported $25m in Hurricane Matthew restoration costs from its customers in Grand Bahamas (”GB Power: Consumers to pay $25m Storm cost” and “GB Power urged: Don’t seek quick $25m recovery”). The part that bothered me the most were comments attributed to the chief executive of GB Power, Mrs Sarah McDonald, that GBPC would work with the GB Port Authority, its “regulator”, to determine the most appropriate method for recovering GBPC’s “prudent” restoration costs once all work was completed. Based on objections raised by East Grand Bahama MP and Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Mr K Peter Turnquest, that GBPC’s shareholders and not its customers should pay the restoration costs, the Tribune queried whether “(t) he situation is likely to revive debate on who should be GB Power’s regulator - the Utilities Regulation & Competition Authority (URCA) in Nassau, which is supposed to oversee the energy sector nationwide, or the GBPA”. The question that all of this raised in my mind was who in Grand Bahama or the Bahamas is looking out for the interests of this company’s customers? In my opinion, it is unlikely to be the GBPA as the more revenue that GB Power earns, the greater the license fees it pays to the GBPA. Further, if the relationship between the GBPA and GBPC was truly one of regulator and regulated as they would have
us believe, there would be no need for the creation of a Regulatory Framework Agreement between them. Even if GBPC has challenged URCA’s authority to regulate GBPC in the Port Area under the HCA in the Supreme Court, no such restrictions affect URCA’s ability to regulate GBPC in those areas of Grand Bahama outside of the Port Area. One wonders whether URCA’s Board have taken the time out of their busy schedules travelling first class all over the world at customers expense to ensure that GBPC does not use this situation to take advantage of its customers in east and west Grand Bahama. As for the recovery of “prudent” restoration costs, while the service provider can apply to its regulator to recover $25m, an independent and properly informed regulator would most likely not allow recovery of all of those costs depending on the age and condition of poles and other equipment, and those costs that are allowed are likely to be recovered over periods ranging from three to ten years or more. All of this would require GBPC to make application to an independent regulator under an independent regulatory process that does not currently exist in Freeport. VINCENT WALLACE WHITFIELD Nassau, November 17, 2016.
Divine deal? EDITOR, The Tribune Re: $2.1 bn Chinese proposal a BAMSI ‘complement’ (November 10) We are sometimes reminded that “God gave the Bahamas to the PLP”. But was the heavenly gift accompanied by divine authorisation for it to be given, sold or leased to anyone else - especially if they are officially atheist? KEN W KNOWLES MD Nassau, November 13, 2016
THE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, November 23, 2016, PAGE 5
THIRD MAN ACCUSED OF SHOOTING AIDE By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net
A THIRD man has been arraigned in connection with the shooting of a police aide attached to Prime Minister Perry Christie. It is alleged that 20-yearold Tamiko Coakley committed attempted murder and his alleged victim is Sergeant Brent Dixon who was shot on Monday, September 5. He was arraigned before Chief Magistrate Ferguson-Pratt.
According to initial reports from police, Sgt Dixon had just pulled into the driveway of a home on Olde Corner when two men with handguns approached and demanded cash. A struggle followed and the officer was shot. He returned fire and shot one of the suspects while the other fled the area on foot, police said. Both Sgt Dixon and the injured suspect were taken to hospital for treatment. Tahnarze Ferguson, 22, and 18-year-old Jorel Augustine have already been
served with voluntary bills of indictment and are scheduled to appear before Justice Bernard Turner on December 2 where they will be allowed to enter a plea to the charge. Coakley is set to receive his VBI on Friday, November 25, before Magistrate Constance Delancy. He has been remanded to prison to await trial but can make an application for bail in the Supreme Court. He has retained attorney Donna Major to represent him.
Trio spared death penalty must face ruling challenge By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net THREE men previously spared the death penalty by a Supreme Court judge for the murder of American sailor Kyle Bruner will now have to present arguments to the Court of Appeal as to why that decision should not be reversed. Craig Johnson, 24, Anton Bastian, 23, and 25-yearold Marcellus Williams appeared in the appellate court for a hearing concerning the Crown’s challenge to Justice Indra Charles’ decision to impose a 45year sentence for Johnson and 40-year sentences for his co-convicts instead of the ultimate punishment on the law books that had been sought at the penalty phase of their trial in May of this year. Though the appeal against their sentences had been filed within time, the trio had not been personally served with the documents of the Crown’s intention to challenge the sentences. In yesterday’s hearing, prosecutor Ambrose Armbrister asked the appellate
court to exercise its discretion under Section 38 of the Court of Appeal rules to waive the latter requirement. Lawyers Ian Cargill and Roberto Reckley, who represent Johnson and Bastian respectively, called for the Crown’s application to be dismissed. However, Justices Dame Anita Allen, Jon Isaacs, and Stella Crane-Scott found that there was no real prejudice to the trio for the issue to be heard as they themselves are awaiting a date to be heard on their appeal against conviction and sentence. Due to the nature of the case and finding that there was no existing requirement to serve inmates notice within a time limit, the appellate court allowed Mr Armbrister’s request and gave him seven days to serve the men. Williams asked for the court’s assistance with legal representation and was told that a lawyer will be appointed at the public’s expense. They return to the appellate court for a status hearing on January 12, 2017.
Last November, a jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts for Johnson, Bastian and Williams for Bruner’s murder. The three men were further convicted with 32-year-old Jamaal Dorfevil on two counts of armed robbery as they were alleged to have held up two women while armed with a firearm, robbing one of $150 cash, her $3,000 handbag and the other of cash, a handbag and an iPhone. Justice Charles had been urged by the Crown to sentence the three to death for their role in the events that led to Bruner’s fatal shooting on May 13, 2013. Instead Johnson was sentenced to 45 years imprisonment for murder and 12 years for each of the two counts of armed robbery of which he was convicted. His fellow convicts, Bastian and Williams, received 40 years for murder and 12 years for armed robbery. Their sentences were ordered to run concurrently from the date of conviction. They were credited for the time spent on remand. All three have been in custody since May 2013.
BULGARIAN RELEASED - BUT STILL SEEKS TO CLEAR NAME By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net
A BULGARIAN man is reportedly intent on clearing his name notwithstanding that he returned to his home country after completing his sentence for money laundering. In 39-year-old Kostadin Karchav’s absence, lawyer Stanley Rolle indicated that Karchav still wished to pursue his appeal against the conviction that had been filed prior to his October 30 release from the Department of Correctional Services. However, Mr Rolle said the European intended to retain a new lawyer to argue his appeal and he was merely there to indicate the same. The appellate court said it would adjourn the matter to March 6, 2017 for a status hearing to allow Karchav time to formally write the court indicating that he had retained counsel and wished for the appeal to proceed in his absence. Failure to do so in that timeframe would result in a
dismissal of the appeal. The jury in Karchav’s trial heard that he gave an oral confession to the crimes prior to a record of interview that was done in the presence of his then lawyer Roger Gomez II. Sergeant Donovan Martin, of the Central Detective Unit, testified of a conversation with Karchav under caution in the presence of Inspector Deborah Thompson on February 15, 2015. Karchav allegedly told police he had been in the country since 2014 and was a part of a credit card group in Bulgaria. It was alleged that he told officers he used his time in The Bahamas to obtain information about the models of the ATM machines he observed. His accomplices replied with information on credit and debit cards, which he uploaded to gift cards he had brought with him when he travelled to The Bahamas. He allegedly told a police officer that all of the funds seized by police during his arrest were proceeds from the machines, some of
which were deposited to his RBC account. He also stated that he purchased a 2005 Suzuki Swift with some of the funds obtained from the bank. A record of interview was held following this conversation later on that afternoon. Karchav, who elected to remain silent to allegations, called Mr Gomez II as a witness when the latter confirmed to his defence attorney that he sat in on a record of interview, but it was not on Sunday, February 15, 2015. The lawyer was asked if Karchav had made any complaints when he went to see him. Mr Gomez said his then client’s complaint only concerned the cell and food. The jury returned 7-2 guilty verdicts on money laundering with respect to the funds found in the RBC account and the purchase of the Suzuki Swift. The jury returned a unanimous not guilty verdict on a count concerning an iPhone 6 cell phone, of which Justice Turner said he was discharged.
EXTENSION GRANTED FOR APPEAL By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net
A MAN was granted an extension of time yesterday by the Court of Appeal to formally challenge his conviction for a murder that occurred in 2014. Yvener Philome, 25, and his lawyer Christina Galanos appeared in the Claughton House courtroom for a hearing seeking to convince the court that Philome should be allowed leave for a time extension, to appeal the conviction and 50-year sentence im-
posed on him relating to the March 31, 2014 shooting death of Leonardo “Yellow” Pierre. With no objection from Crown prosecutor Terry Archer, the appellate court granted the application due to the nature of the offence and because Philome had missed his 21-day deadline by only 24 hours. The matter was adjourned to a date to be announced and published on the appellate court’s website as the court has yet to receive the transcripts from the trial. Pierre was found shot to
death sometime around 1:30am in the Garden Villas area at Adventurer’s Way in Grand Bahama. His death was the island’s fourth homicide for 2014. Philome stood trial and was unanimously convicted of the killing in October 2015. Justice Estelle GrayEvans sentenced Philome to 50 years in prison but reduced it to 48 years and six months after taking into account the time spent on remand. Philome maintains that he did not commit the murder.
TAMIKO COAKLEY, 20, accused of the attempted murder of Sgt Brent Dixon, aide to Prime Minister Perry Christie. Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
TEENAGER ONE OF TWO ACCUSED IN SEPARATE MURDER CASES By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net
A TEENAGER was one of two individuals who appeared in Magistrate’s Court yesterday afternoon for separate murder arraignments. The 17-year-old of Yellow Elder Gardens, who cannot be named because he is a minor, was arraigned before Magistrate Kara Turnquest-Deveaux on a murder charge concerning the Friday, November 19, death of Mario Bain. He was charged with murder under Section 291 (1)(B) of the Penal Code. A charge under this section does not attract the discretionary death penalty if a conviction is reached at the end of trial. On the day in question, Bain, 25, was walking in the area of Nichol’s Court in Yellow Elder Gardens when a gunman emerged from a black Honda and shot him before speeding off. Bain was pronounced dead on the scene by EMS personnel. Magistrate TurnquestDeveaux informed the accused that he would not be allowed to enter a plea because his case would be fast-tracked to the Supreme
A 17-year-old juvenile accused of murdering Mario Bain. Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff Court. This would occur through service of a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI), scheduled for January 17, 2017. He will be remanded to the Simpson Penn Centre for Boys in the interim. In another murder arraignment, this time before Chief Magistrate Joyanne Ferguson-Pratt, 28-year-old Adrian Knowles was accused of intentionally causing the death of Coleman Edgecombe on November 14. Edgecombe, 21, was shot in the head during an argument outside a nightclub shortly after midnight on Arundel Street. Knowles, too, was charged with murder under Section 291 (1)(B) of the Penal Code and will
ADRIAN KNOWLES, 28, accused of murdering Coleman Edgecombe. not be called on to enter a plea to the allegation until he is formally arraigned before a judge of the Supreme Court. He is also scheduled to receive his VBI on January 17, 2017. Given the nature of the charge, he was denied bail and remanded to the Department of Correctional Services. However, he was advised of his right to apply for bail in the higher court. He was not represented in his arraignment.
PAGE 6, Wednesday, November 23, 2016
THE TRIBUNE
HOSPITAL CHIEF OF STAFF QUITS AMID FIGHT ON DOCTORS’ PAY from page one
Dr Johnson’s recommendations were supported by the medical advisory committee; however, they were not adopted by Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) Managing Director Herbert Brown, who ultimately changed the proposal with the support of the PHA board. Consultant Physicians Staff Association President Dr Locksley Munroe told The Tribune yesterday that Dr Johnson had the “absolute and unequivocal” support of the association, and that the body plans to draft a letter to the PHA board, Health Minister Dr Perry Gomez and Prime Minister Perry Christie.
Dr Munroe said: “We’re not happy that Dr Johnson resigned [yesterday], we understand why he resigned, he’s being treated in a very insulting manner. We’re trying to get some kind of action, conciliation to get back to normal and make sure the hospital is delivering the highest quality of care. “It’s not just Herbert Brown but also the chairman of the board, they were very dismissive and demeaning of the input that Dr Johnson had. It’s the way the PHA, the so-called administrative side of it, is dealing with the people who deliver healthcare on the ground. “There is a total disconnect,” he added. The CPSA is one of nine
healthcare and insurance industry bodies that forged an alliance earlier this year to develop an alternative to the government’s National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme, which they have continued to brand as “seriously flawed and unsustainable.” The Medical Chief of Staff’s (MCS) position is a contractual peer-appointed post with a three-year term. Dr Johnson served from 2013 to 2016, and was reappointed for another term in July. According to sources close to the matter, the issue stems from recommendations made over the recruitment and placement of two foreign ophthalmologists. Dr Johnson’s suggestion was for the doctors
to start at a lower salary ranking, with the option for review and promotion after one or two years; however, this was disregarded for a higher ranking supported by Mr Brown. When questioned yesterday, Dr Johnson said he decided to step down from the post after it became apparent that officials had already gone forward with the recruitment exercise despite months of back-andforth discussion over the changes. He forecast that the disparity in pay and procedure between the new recruits and previous local hires had the potential to create “big problems.” “The managing director sought to change without consulting or informing
Allen: Urban Renewal loans better late than never from page one could be tinged by claims of political expediency. However, the co-chair recalled assurances given to him by Prime Minister Perry Christie that he would not be used as a “tool of political chicanery,” and pointed to the character strength of fellow Co-Chair Cynthia “Mother” Pratt and his own fundamental principles. “I hate to fall back on a tired, overused adage but it’s better late than never,” Mr Allen said. “I do believe that this particular Authority will come into its fullness in the next administration, whether it is the Free National Movement or the Progressive Liberal Party, if the FNM chooses to, and I do believe they will see the value of this. “Any administration ought to see the value of putting this in proper legislative form, and it will come into its fullness in the next term because really we have five months to go before the next general election and that will go almost in the twinkling of an eye.” Mr Allen maintained that successive administrations have pursued social initiatives that embody the philosophy of urban renewal, but in an “ad-hoc” manner. “We are now seeking,” he said, “albeit in the 11th hour, to properly shape it and to properly crystallise all of the objectives over the many years which several administrations have pursued, in a coherent and structured pattern while maintaining the social and philosophical thrust of it.” Deputy Prime Minister Philip Davis tabled legisla-
URBAN Renewal Co-Chair Algernon Allen. tion to transform the Urban Renewal programme into an independent, statutory authority with the ability to grant loans for small home repairs and social projects on Monday. It gives the minister with responsibility for Urban Renewal, in this case Mr Davis, the ability to designate an urban community by order. Yesterday, Mr Davis met with Mr Allen and Mrs Pratt to discuss regulations that will accompany the new bill, such as caps on the amount of funding granted by the Authority. Asked whether he felt the introduction of loans was the right move for the fledgling statutory body, Mr Allen said: “The proof of the pudding will be in the eating, that is why you will find that the authority in terms of its financial provisions and the auditing and the accounting, it’s very exacting. “We should be able to defend against criticism once the appropriate personnel are put in place.
“I’m convinced that [the bill] represents the coming age of the programme, the institutionalisation of the programme and it also represents the crystallisation of the programme,” he said, “in a form of accountability transparency and regulation which can assure that public funds are appropriately expended, that public works are properly identified, and that the methodologies employed in so doing are acceptable in the broad scheme of correct public policies and procedures.” The Authority will be required to submit an annual report to the minister no later than September 30 that details the body’s activities over that year, and expands on the accomplishments and challenges encountered in the execution of short, medium and longterm goals. That report should be tabled in both the Lower and Upper House, and gazetted no later than three months after it was received by the minister.
The bill also mandates that the Authority’s accounts be audited within three months after the end of each financial year. It comes on the heels of the damning report by the Public Accounts Committee, which found that the programme was “severely lacking in accountability” with “minimal fiscal safeguards,” and last year’s report by Auditor General Terrance Bastian that highlighted a litany of concerns and weaknesses related to the project’s management and expenditure. Following the publication of PAC report, Mr Allen told The Tribune that the co-chairs were preparing a response to the criticisms levelled in both the majority and minority report on the programme. While it was originally reported that the response would be aimed at discrediting the work of the PAC, Mr Allen said yesterday that he was alluding to the impending URA legislation. “I could not at the time appropriately divulge that a bill would be tabled by the minister because that was not my call, and it would have been premature. When I said we would be responding to that, the response was the Urban Renewal Authority Bill. “It is the appropriate response to the PAC, to the auditor general and it takes into account many of the considerations and the concerns of all those bodies.” Mr Allen yesterday congratulated “all who laboured in the visage of this young democracy, the government, the opposition, the PAC and the media, whose input and vigilance have shaped this landmark bill.”
me of the change,” Dr Johnson said. “Once I discovered that was the case I wrote to him explaining the oversight and some of the problems that might occur if we do that and requesting that he revert to the recommendation made by my office. “I suppose he didn’t think it was a good idea, he wrote me back that he would still change my decision. So I wrote the board asking for their intervention. Unfortunately, I got a response that basically said the managing director was empowered by the board to make decisions – basically whatever he says goes.” Dr Johnson added: “I was now put in the position where I had physicians coming into the hos-
pital to work at a level that I didn’t agree for them to work. “It put me in a terrible position, it’s either they need to change the decision or I need to withdraw myself from the process. I felt the whole process was dragging on too long. Those two doctors are still being recruited and are on their way here. You’re telling me let’s talk but not doing anything to reverse the decision. “What makes matters worse is we brought another doctor on with similar qualifications in another area six months ago and he’s at a lower level, the level I wanted to employ these two as well. When they get to talking, I don’t want to be the one trying to explain the difference.”
UNIONS CALL ON WORKERS TO SUPPORT BLACK FRIDAY MARCH from page one
The silent protest, titled “We March”, will begin at Arawak Cay at 1pm on Friday. From there, participants will walk to Parliament and remain there until 1am the following day. The event posted on Facebook has attracted significant support from activists and civic organisations, including environmental group Raising Awareness about the Bahamas Landfill (RABL). According to lead organiser Ranard Henfield, protests are also expected to be staged simultaneously in Grand Bahama, Abaco, as well as in New York and Toronto, Canada. The march will be broadcast via Periscope and Facebook Live, according to officials. “I’m inviting all members of the (BPSU) and our umbrella organisations and our NCTUB, all workers, to certainly make an effort to be a part of this march, to demonstrate your rights as a Bahamian,” Mr Pinder said. “Too often we allow the police department and governments to frighten us from our own constitutional rights, to be able to express ourselves. Our Constitution allows for the freedom of expression, and that’s all we want to do is express our concern for our country. “So I’m inviting all of our workers to come out and display your displeasure on how long it’s taken out government to correct these outstanding matters.” Mr Ferguson, during his remarks, not only called on Bahamians to support the march, but to also register to vote in the upcoming general election and “vote your interest.” “We will not support you to destroy us. We will not support you to strengthen those persons who try to oppress the average man. Four, five, six years be-
fore a trade dispute can be heard. So what the worker suppose to do? Ladies and gentleman, I’m asking the church, and every union in this land, and every worker who is not a part of a union, to be on that march on Friday. “Be out there, support the movement, support yourselves. Let us get registered, so when that polls open up, we will go to the poll, and we will vote for our interests. So I’m looking forward for all workers, whether you’re in the union, outside of the union, whether you support the union or not, these are basic rights for all of us.” Meanwhile, Mr Henfield, activist and founder of the Our Carmichael Community Initiative, called on the public to join the “movement.” Aside from the march, Mr Henfield said a massive voter registration drive will be conducted by the Parliamentary Registration Department in Rawson Square that same day. He also said his group will begin to form “focus groups” to “allow “persons after this march to come together, put our minds and brains together to find and put forth solutions.” “We must stand in solidarity and stop the individual efforts to fight our individual causes, and come together and say to any administration and any political hopeful, that the people deserve better and we want a Bahamas for Bahamians,” he said. “We want an administration that looks out for us, and we want a country that serves the betterment, the empowerment and the enrichment of Bahamians. “We are prepared to draft the legislation that Parliament has failed to draft in our interests. We are prepared to file court actions on behalf of the people, actions that the (Office of the) Attorney General has failed to file. So we are prepared to move forward, this is only stage one.”
MINNIS: BTC PROBE JUST A DISTRACTION BY PLP from page one
On Monday, the government moved a resolution in Parliament to establish a select committee to probe the controversial sale to CWC. Suggesting the 2011 sale was essentially a “give
away”, Minister of Labour Shane Gibson called the decision to privatise the telecommunications provider “damaging,” as he pointed to BTC’s revenue generation abilities. The Golden Gates MP was also adamant that some inconsistency might exist between the cost at
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which the then FNM government sold BTC and what CWC actually paid for it. BTC was sold to CWC for $210m, but Mr Gibson highlighted that in CWC’s audited financial statement, the company said it purchased the company at a cost of $204m. “This select committee is just another chapter in the prime minister’s playbook of sideshow distractions,” Dr Minnis said. “They have had five years to investigate but wait until right before the election to convene the committee when they are in the worst place politically. “This is not at the top of the list of concerns of Bahamians especially when the government is negotiating to give away our
farm and fishing rights and people are dying in the streets daily. The prime minister has lost touch with the Bahamian people if he is now a proponent of transparency after four and a half years of secret deals.” Dr Minnis said if the government were really serious about transparency, officials would unseal the “secret” Baha Mar deal. “Table that agreement if they want to probe something,” Dr Minnis said. “Table the agreement of buying back the two per cent of BTC because we still don’t know the details of that yet. I am confident that the Bahamian people will see right through his smoke and mirrors and the PLP. A FNM government
led by Hubert Minnis will bring accountability and transparency back to this government.” The Progressive Liberal Party, then in opposition, was seriously opposed to the sale of BTC. It vowed to take back the 51 per cent majority share stake from CWC if it was elected to office. When the party defeated the FNM in the 2012 general election, a committee, tasked with this effort was formed. Later, in 2013, lead negotiator in the take back negotiations Franklyn Wilson said due to “shocking revelations” that pointed to an “horrendously bad deal” it was recommended to Prime Minister Perry Christie that a select committee be appointed to probe BTC’s
sale. He also suggested that the deal benefited the company and not the Bahamian people. After a lengthy negotiation steeped in controversy, the prime minister in early 2014 announced that his government was successful in wrangling two per cent of the BTC shares from CWC’s hold. These shares were to be placed into the newly created BTC Foundation. However, CWC retained board and management control of BTC and the foundation owned the two per cent equity stake that CWC relinquished. This left both CWC and the government with matching 49 per cent equity stakes in BTC. It was perceived to be a “face saving deal”.
PAGE 8, Wednesday, November 23, 2016
THE TRIBUNE
PRESIDENT-elect Donald Trump waves to the crowd as he leaves the New York Times building following a meeting yesterday.
Why Trump won and what it could mean for The Bahamas O
NE thing is for certain - there has been no shortage of analysis from every quarter on why Donald Trump won the US presidential election. For Breitbart News - the provocateur website run by Trump’s right-wing strategist Steve Bannon - it was a foregone conclusion. Their candidate (whom they refer to as ‘Daddy’) promised to disrupt establishment politics and upend the sclerotic global system that America and its allies have built up over the past 70 years. “We’re going to build an entirely new political movement,” Bannon said in a recent interview. “The con-
servatives are going to go crazy. I’m the guy pushing a trillion-dollar infrastructure plan … It will be as exciting as the 1930s, greater than the Reagan revolution - conservatives, plus populists, in an economic nationalist movement.” Trump’s anti-globalist headline policies during
the campaign focused on a border wall, radical immigration and trade restrictions, reneging on international treaties and reversing whatever progress has been made on climate and environmental issues. But before we get into that, let’s look at the numbers. At the time of writing,
Hillary Clinton led Trump I also get that the rise of by well over a million votes populism has mirrored ris- 48 to 47 per cent - but ing inequality in rich counTrump won in the electoral tries - the United States in college (EC). particular. There’s a ton of online But as University of Lonresources if you want to don political scientist Eric know more about this pe- Kaufmann argued recently, culiar American institu- “there’s precious little evition. But suffice to say it dence this (US presidential) was created to provide a vote had much to do with population balance be- personal economic circumtween slave and non-slave stances”. states. The EC enabled His argument is that disouthern states to count versity and difference tends enslaved Africans with a to alarm right-wing authoritwo-fifths discount. tarians, who seek order and Clinton had to contend stability. “This, and not with a five per cent third- class, is what cuts the elecparty vote - compared to toral pie in many Western only 1.6 per cent in 2012, countries these days.” 1.4 per cent in 2008 and one Kaufmann refers to a per cent in 2004. Analysts Birkbeck College/Policy say those Exchange/ 6.4 million ‘What I can’t YouGov surdisplaced vey conductvotes had appreciate is all ed in Auan impact - the crazy stuff that gust. Nearly much as the Trump and his crew 40 per cent Democratic of those who now feel able to get gave Trump National Alliance si- away with. Killing 0 out of 10 phoned off all action to address in the survey Free Nationsaid inequalal Movement climate change ity was the votes in 2012 tops the list. And top issue facto help the ing Amerithis will condemn Progressive ca. Among Liberal Party our children and those rating win a plural- grandchildren to Trump 10 ity. out of 10, But the environmental only four per catastrophe.’ biggest cent agreed. take-away “That’s in terms of numbers was a tenfold difference. Now the smaller-than-projected look at immigration: the turnout. About seven mil- top issue for 25 per cent lion fewer Democrats and of white Trump backers, two million fewer Repub- but hardly even registering licans voted than in 2012. among Trump detractors.” And the 2012 turnout was Kaufmann concludes that down from 2008 - despite the success of populists like an ever-increasing popula- Trump is based on immition. In other words, there gration and ethnic change, was evidently a large pro- which is unsettling that portest against Clinton’s ‘busi- tion of the electorate that ness as usual’ approach. prefers cultural order. According to Paul WalThe leadership of the deman in The Washington Democratic Party and other Post: “Republicans have an liberal parties in the West interest in characterising cannot escape responsibilTrump’s win as the result ity for their recent losses of a vast outpouring of sup- and the rise of intolerance. port. But that’s plainly not At the very least, they need true. While Trump man- a major soul-searching and aged to gain an electoral messaging overhaul. college victory, not only As Jonathan Haidt wrote did he get fewer votes than in the non-partisan AmeriClinton, he got fewer votes can Interest magazine, “Nathan Romney in 2012, Mc- tionalists in Europe have Cain in 2008 and Bush in been objecting to mass im2004.” migration for decades, so But observers have also the gigantic surge of asylum pointed to how poorly Clin- seekers in 2015 was bound ton did - getting six million to increase their anger and fewer votes than Obama did their support for right-wing in 2012, and nearly 10 mil- nationalist parties. The anlion fewer than he did in swer … cannot be found 2008. just by looking at the naAccording to conserva- tionalists and pointing to tive writer Salena Zito, their economic conditions support for Trump was not and the racism that some solely a revolt by poorer of them do indeed display. whites left behind by glo- One must first look at the balisation. “This great pop- globalists, and at how their ulist election was all a big changing values may drive pushback against elitism on many of their fellow citizens both sides of the aisle.” to support right-wing politiI can appreciate that cal leaders.” view. I totally get that whenHaidt says we should pay ever there is cultural change attention to three key variforced by concentrated im- ables: the percentage of formigration, there is often a eign-born residents at any nativist reaction. This can given time, the degree of be seen in Bahamian atti- difference of each incoming tudes towards Haitian im- group, and the degree of asmigration, British feelings similation being achieved. about large numbers of Many of us have been Polish migrants, or the Eu- pointing to the ‘forced’ lack ropean reaction to African of assimilation of Haitian and Syrian refugees. migrants in the Bahamas
as risking the same kind of reaction. So I think I get this. But what I can’t appreciate is all the crazy stuff that Trump and his crew now feel able to get away with. Killing all action to address climate change tops the list. And this will condemn our children and grandchildren to environmental catastrophe. The reality is that more American jobs are now generated by the solar industry than by coal. And public opinion is strongly in favour of renewable energy and pollution controls. Yet Trump has vowed to dismantle environmental regulations, shore up the highly-polluting fossil fuel industry (including coal) and cancel international climate agreements. Traditional allies in Europe and Asia are bewildered at Trump’s disdain for treaties that have secured Western interests for decades. And his fawning admiration for Russian strongman Vladimir Putin - not to mention his Russian business ties - is alarming, and could easily lead to greater global instability. In terms of trade, Trump is preparing for a major reevaluation and re-negotiation of trade policy, according to Vox writer Zeeshan Aleem. “This could potentially upend economic relationships the United States has held for decades. If pursued recklessly, it could set off a trade war that wreaks havoc on the American economy.” International supply chains in today’s world are deeply intertwined, and protectionist trade polices in the 1920s were blamed for the Great Depression. As for what a Trump presidency could mean for the Bahamas, that prognostication is more cloudy. He could reverse the opening to Cuba, which would presumably help our tourism industry. American tourism to Cuba is still technically illegal under the embargo, but the current administration has softened the rules. As a result, Cuba and the US recently agreed to allow up to 90 daily round-trip flights between the two nations. It is well-known that American multinationals are stockpiling over $2 trillion in profits in offshore financial centres like the Bahamas. Trump has promised a 30-point cut in taxes if these profits are repatriated. So assuming a portion of this wealth is booked here, our financial sector can expect to take a hit. But with 80 per cent of our land within five feet of sea level Trump’s biggest impact on The Bahamas will assuredly come from the dismantling of environmental and climate change actions and agreements. What do you think? Send comments to lsmith@tribunemedia.net or visit www. bahamapundit.com
THE THETRIBUNE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, November 2016, PAGE Wednesday, November 23rd,23, 2016, PAGE A99
GET READY TO BUILD!
THE Osmo Creative Set. Toys that teach aren’t a new thing, but a growing number are calling for kids to build with blocks, circuits or everyday items before reaching for a tablet screen. (Osmo via AP)
HANDS-ON TOYS THAT TEACH ARE HOT NEW YORK (AP) — Toys that teach aren’t a new thing, but a growing number are calling for kids to build with blocks, circuits or everyday items before reaching for a tablet screen. Play is how kids learn about the world around them, whether it’s a toddler throwing a ball or teens playing video games. It’s about seeing how things work and what happens when they do something. And over the years, toys have gotten more high tech to keep screen-obsessed children engaged with such play. But there’s growing worry among parents and educators that toys are moving too far in that direction. Educational toys that have a math and science bent — marketed under the umbrella of STEM — are now trying to get back to the basics: less screen time, more hands-on activities. “When kids use their hands, your outcomes are much higher,” said Pramod Sharma, CEO of one such toy company, Osmo. “It’s very different than if they’re just staring at a screen watching TV.” With Osmo, kids learn everything from spelling to coding not by touching a screen, but by snapping together magnetic blocks. A screen is still part of it; an image is beamed onto an iPad through its camera. But the idea is to have kids learn first with their hands, then see their creation move to the screen. LEARN BY BUILDING Educators agree that whether you’re talking about a toddler playing with blocks, or a teen building a computer from scratch, the act of putting something together helps educational concepts sink in. “The way the world comes to us is actually through tactile activities, so tactile toys where we build stuff are incredible helpful,” said Karen Sobel-Lojeski, who studies the effects of technology on children’s brain development at Stony Brook University on Long Island, New York. Bloxels attempts to bridge the physical and the digital. Kids build
their own video games by putting plastic blocks in a special tray, instead of writing out code. Using a phone or tablet’s camera, an app transforms the shapes created with the blocks into digital characters and scenery. Makey Makey, a startup founded by a pair of MIT students, asks kids to come up with their own electronic creations by combining software, circuits and everyday items like bananas and doughnuts. GOOD, BUT POPULAR? Sobel-Lojeski said toys are most educational when kids can learn how things work by building. But Juli Lennett, a toy industry analyst at NPD, said such toys are rarely on kids’ wish lists. On the other hand, tech toys that have subtle educational value, but
definitely one of the top-selling toys this holiday,” Lennett said. Tracy Achinger, a former automotive engineer in Shelby Township, Michigan, said her eight-yearold son got interested in coding after starting computer programing classes this year. So for Christmas, she’s buying him an Ozobot, a golf ball-sized robot that kids can program by drawing different coloured lines or using a kid-friendly, blockbased programing language. TECH HAS ITS LIMITS
FISHER-PRICE’S Think & Learn Code-a-Pillar, which introduces basic coding concepts by letting preschoolers assemble segments that each tells the caterpillar to do something different, such as “turn left” or “play sound.” (Mattel via AP) aren’t specifically marketed as such, can be strong sellers. Lennett cites Fisher-Price’s Think & Learn Codea-Pillar, which introduces basic coding concepts by letting preschoolers assemble segments that each tells the caterpillar to do something different, such as “turn left” or “play sound.” “I’m not sure that kids are asking for it, or that their parents just want their kids to go to Harvard, but it’s
Achinger’s 3-year-old son will be getting an iPad this year. She said she isn’t against screen time, but believes parents need to keep an eye on what their kids are watching and playing. She said her older son has been playing creative games such as “Minecraft” for a few years. “We try to keep it educational,” Achinger said. “I really think those kinds of games get their imaginations going as they create their own worlds.” The American Academy of Pediatrics recently revised its guidelines to shift the emphasis away from banning screen time and toward balancing high-quality content with non-screen activities. That doesn’t mean every toy with a screen is educational. Barbie has her own smart home in the form of the voice-activated and Wi-Ficonnected Hello Dreamhouse. And new versions of Elmo, Furby and the Cabbage Patch Kids have apps, which Lennett said are often more about branding than learning. Sobel-Lojeski said slapping an app on a previously low-tech toy can backfire. Instead of letting the child imagine how a particular toy would talk or behave, the app fills in those
NUTONOMY SET FOR ‘FIRST’ SELF-DRIVING CAR TEST IN US CITY NUTONOMY, a startup that makes driverless vehicles, says it will start testing its self-driving cars on public streets in Boston by the end of the year. The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company said this will be its first test on public roads in a U.S. city. It has previously conducted extensive testing in closed courses in the U.S. It also was the first company to start autonomous taxi service in Singapore, which began earlier this year. NuTonomy will begin testing its selfdriving Renault Zoe electric vehicle before the end of the year in the Raymond L. Flynn Marine Park in the Seaport section of the city. The company said it outfits its vehicles with a state-of-the art software system to enable safe operation without a driver. The City of Boston plans to monitor the effects of autonomous vehicles and
holes. “It cuts the child off from play that is much more important for development,” she said. Some of the drive for tech in toys comes from parents who believe that the younger their kids are exposed to technology, the more prepared they will be for a lucrative career someday. But Sobel-Lojeski said Albert Einstein came up with breakthroughs without ever touching a computer, let alone tech toys at a young age. “We can easily be tricked into thinking that all this stuff is going to make our kids more intelligent or better scientists and that’s just not true,” she said. RESIST THE SCREEN Companies that make computers for kids also see the value in a construction element. Kano shows kids how to build their own computers in a kid-friendly storybook format. Kano co-founder Alex Klein said he had to resist suggestions to just put Kano into app form and skip the computer construction all together. He said the act of building a computer was key because it “created a huge sense of energy and momentum for what followed on screen.” But Klein said screens aren’t going away anytime soon. “You can’t compete with screens with kids,” he said. “So, for us it’s not about trying to push against what this next generation thinks is good or likes. It’s about providing a new angle on it that’s more creative.” BREE FOWLER, AP Technology Writer
MOST ADVANCED WEATHER SATELLITE EVER HAS LIFT OFF
AN AUTONOMOUS vehicle, operated by nuTonomy, is driven during a test drive. (AP)
identify how they might further the safety, access, and sustainability goals of its broader transportation plan. Boston Mayor Martin Walsh said in a statement that the test is an “exciting step forward.” Numerous automobile companies have tested such vehicles on public roads in California and Nevada. Google has been testing for years in California and Uber is testing driverless cars in Pittsburgh, but this will be a first for Massachusetts. Associated Press
THE most advanced weather satellite ever built rocketed into space Saturday night, part of an $11 billion effort to revolutionise forecasting and save lives. This new GOES-R spacecraft will track U.S. weather as never before: hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding, volcanic ash clouds, wildfires, lightning storms, even solar flares. Indeed, about 50 TV meteorologists from around the country converged on the launch site — including NBC’s Al Roker — along with 8,000 space programme workers and guests. “What’s so exciting is that we’re going to be getting more data, more often, much more detailed, higher resolution,” Roker said. In the case of tornadoes, “if we
can give people another 10, 15, 20 minutes, we’re talking about lives being saved.” Think superhero speed and accuracy for forecasting. Super high-definition TV, versus black-and-white. “Really a quantum leap above any satellite NOAA has ever flown,” said Stephen Volz, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s director of satellites. For the American public, that will mean faster, more accurate weather forecasts and warnings,” Volz said earlier in the week. “That also will mean more lives saved and better environmental intelligence” for government officials responsible for hurricane and other evacuations. Associated Press
TECHTALK • VOLKSWAGEN’S namesake brand hopes to bounce back from its diesel emissions scandal with a broad restructuring that will mean more battery-powered cars, digital services such as ride-sharing, and more SUVs for the U.S. market. Herbert Diess, the head of the Volkswagen division, unveiled the company’s Transform 2025 plan at a news conference Tuesday, saying that “in the coming years, we will fundamentally change Volkswagen. Only a few things will remain as they are.” The plan foresees a major shift in focus toward investments in electric-car technology and in software to enable new ways of using and sharing cars. The Volkswagen division alone expects to sell a million electric vehicles a year by 2025. Including the company’s other brands, such as SEAT and Skoda, the Volkswagen Group expects to sell up to 3 million electrics by then. • MAJOR League Baseball Hall of Famer Johnny Bench has launched a new cellphone app aimed at combatting bullying in schools nationwide. The Cincinnati Reds catcher officially launched his “Smithfield School App” last Thursday at the Montgomery Inn Boathouse in downtown Cincinnati. The app — named for its sponsor Smithfield Foods — allows teachers and administrators to notify parents of reports of bullying, cyberbullying, threats, school closings and other alerts. Approximately 5,000 schools across the country are slated to use the app, which is free for users with schools paying a $79 monthly hosting fee. Bench says he still remembers two boys who bullied him when he was in eighth grade more than 50 years ago. He says he wants to see every child protected as much as possible. • SOUTH Korea rejected a request by Google to use local mapping data in the company’s global maps service in a longawaited ruling on Friday that had divided the country for months. The company said it was disappointed by the decision, which the land ministry said was based on concerns over national security. “We’re disappointed by this decision. “We’ve always taken security concerns very seriously and will continue to provide useful map services in compliance with Korea’s current map data export regulation,” Taj Meadows, a Google spokesperson, said in a statement. The South Korean government said the risks outweighed benefits from exporting the country’s mapping data to Google, a unit of Alphabet Inc. South Korea, facing the overt threat of rival North Korea, bars exporting local mapping data to foreign companies that do not operate domestic data servers. Google, a unit of Alphabet Inc., handles its maps service at data centers outside South Korea. The restrictions have limited the usefulness of Google Maps within South Korea, since the app cannot offer driving or walking directions.
PAGE 10, Wednesday, November 23, 2016
THE TRIBUNE
Chinese appeal to media to help international relations By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter in Santiago, Chile rrolle@tribunemedia.net
CHINESE officials urged media companies to play an active role in improving relations between China and countries of Latin American and the Caribbean in Santiago, Chile, yesterday during the opening session of the inaugural China-Latin America Media Leaders Summit at the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and Caribbean (ECLAC) International Conference Centre. Chinese President Xi Jinping appeared at the opening ceremony along with Chilean President Michelle
Bachelet. Mr Jinping called on the media of China, Latin America and the Caribbean to “foster enthusiasm and confidence in both sides”. Officials are expected to expound on this theme today during sessions at which they will discuss the ways media companies from those areas can cooperate. The conference comes as China and its role in the Bahamas has garnered particular interest in recent weeks following reports of proposed ventures. On Monday, Prime Minister Perry Christie emphasised that his government would never approve a proposed $2.1bn agri-fisheries venture with Chinese investors which reportedly
involved a proposal to lease 10,000 acres of Andros land to them. News of the proposal emerged from The Nassau Guardian weeks ago and excited controversy. Government representatives have since attacked the media for its portrayal of the Chinese-Bahamian relationship. Against this backdrop, the summit in Chile aims to dispel “misinformation” about Chinese activities in the western hemisphere, seeing media companies as a first line of defence in accomplishing this goal. Officials did not just urge media companies to be objective, but they implored them to actively create favourable narratives about China’s relations with Lat-
in America and the Carribean. Huang Kunming, the Executive Deputy Director of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Director of Cultural Progress Advancement within that institution, called on media companies to “give full play” to the advantages of relations between China and the countries of the western hemisphere. “To keep pushing forward the China-Latin American relation in the new era, the media circle on both sides has to pool together our wisdom and power,” he said. “In the modern society, media is an important force that leads
public opinions, influences government decisions and promotes people-to-people exchanges. It should give full play to its advantages and play a more constructive and conducive role in promoting China-Latin America co-operation.” “Media relation and public opinions are in a way the barometer of state-tostate relations, and media plays an important role in shaping the international relation and people’s sentiments. Chinese and Latin American media should bear firmly in mind the general direction of ChinaLatin America friendliness and common development and take concrete steps to perform their responsibility and fulfil their mission.
They should proactively guide pubic opinions, promise the win-win concept, advocate development and explain the significance and broad prospects of bilateral co-operation, so as to inject new vitality and energy into the China-Latin American relations. “There have been voices in the international community that derogate the co-operation and friendliness between China and Latin America, which is all the more reason why we should co-ordinate our stances and work together to utter objective and just voices in response to those misinterpretations in a bid to create a favourable public environment for ChinaLatin American relations.”
FIRST Baptist Church in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, donated $25,000 towards the Hurricane Matthew recovery efforts. Pictured from left are: Gowon Bowe of the Disaster Relief Fund committee, responsible for accounting and fund raising; Paulette Zonicle, Bahamas consul general to Washington; Prime Minister Perry Christie; Trina Jenkins and Pastor John Jenkins Sr of First Baptist Church; Minister of Labour Shane Gibson and NEMA Director Captain Stephen Russell. Photo: Patrick Hanna/BIS
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH IN MARYLAND DONATED $25,000 TO NEMA FIRST Baptist Church in Upper Marlboro, Maryland donated $25,000 towards the Hurricane Matthew recovery efforts during a presentation at the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Thursday. On hand for the presentation was Prime Minister Per-
ry Christie who thanked the church, headed by Pastor John Jenkins Sr, for the donation, as he spoke of the effects of climate change on low-lying countries in the region such as The Bahamas. “The reality is, we are faced with continuing challenges as an
archipelagic nation,” Mr Christie said. The presentation was arranged by Paulette Zonicle, the Bahamas consul general to Washington, who is also a member of First Baptist and traveled home to assist in facilitating the donation.
As the pastor was traveling to the Bahamas for several preaching engagements, it was fitting to make the presentation at the same time. Rev Jenkins said it was an honour to visit The Bahamas because: “We love the people of the Bahamas and we feel sad about any
challenges Bahamians are facing.” Rev Jenkins was accompanied by his wife, Trina, as well as Sonji Joyner, First Baptist Church director of marketing and Steven Herd, First Baptist Church director of music ministry.
$4 MILLION RESTORATION AT VIVA WYNDHAM AFTER STORM By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
ABOUT $4 million dollars worth of hurricane restoration is now underway to get the Viva Wyndham Fortuna Beach Resort, which was severely damaged by Hurricane Matthew, open in time for Christmas. Claudio Natella, resort general manager, said officials plan to reopen the newly renovated 276-room property on December 17. He reported that the hotel and its facilities, as well as the landscaping and the beach, sustained significant damage on October 6. “It was a really strong
hurricane,” Mr Natella said of the category four storm. “We experienced 12 hours of strong winds at 150mph that affected almost all of our facilities here at the resort.” Tourism officials and the local media were given a tour of the property and an update of the restoration on Tuesday morning. Mr Natella said that a lot of improvements will be made to the existing property, which will include new marble pathways, a new facility centre, renovated tennis court, pool, kids club, and newly renovated guest rooms. “This renovation is about almost $4m,” he said.
The resort employs 196 workers. Employees in the engineering and landscaping departments were able to return to work immediately after the hurricane to assist with the cleanup as well as rebuilding and renovations. The unemployed workers were given vacation time. Mr Natella said the resort decided to also donate $80 per week to their unemployed workers. He stated that they expect to have 90 per cent occupancy at reopening and into January 2017. Attore Colussi, presidents of the Viva Group, is confident that they will meet the deadline for reo-
pening. “The resort will be better than before, and we want to thank Claudio and the employees for the great work they have done after the hurricane,” he said. “I seen six major hurricanes between here (Grand Bahama), Mexico and the Dominican Republic in my 30-year career, so I know how bad it is, and also how doable it is to get back relatively quickly and so I was positive that by December 17 we could be ready, and we will open better than before,” he said. Mr Colussi said the beach has been restored following severe erosion by the storm.
“The beach is one of the first assets in our resorts and our customers love the big white beach here and I was sorry to see what had happened to the beach, but we have been able to bring more sand to restore it. “I am confident of a great 2017, the season looks good and we will be working together to make Grand Bahama better,” he said. Betty Bethel, director at the Ministry of Tourism in Grand Bahama, said the ministry is excited about the reopening of the newly upgraded resort in December. “I am also pleased we have the opportunity to
welcome back Alpatour Charter out of Italy, which primarily brings guest to the Viva. Last year, they had an amazing time and promised to come back for a longer stay,” she said. Because the property will be more improved, Ms Bethel said it will accommodate higher end customers which will give a higher yield in terms of hotel rates. “Viva will be the first beach resort to reopen, not first waterfront, and considering the damage we got off of our southern shore they have done an amazing job of restoration of the beach, and will offer a better beach experience to the guests,” she said.
HOUSE IN A BOX SUGGESTED AS SOLUTION IN WAKE OF HURRICANES By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
A CANADIAN businessman thinks he has a solution for those who suffered severe property damage after hurricanes struck the Bahamas - a “house in a box”. The homes - which range from 418 square feet to 836 square feet - are packed in containers capable of be-
ing shipped anywhere in the world and are ready for assembly. They feature plumbing, flooring, light fixtures, doors, double sized windows and come with a bathroom and a kitchen. “All you have to do is put the container where you want it and unfold it,” James Palibroda, creator of the product, told The Tribune. “It takes about two months to deliver and about
20 days to manufacture. It’s perfect for countries like the Bahamas that are susceptible to hurricanes. It’s pre-wired with a steel frame. It’s strong and could withstand winds and other forces.” Mr Palibroda said it would cost about $20,000 to deliver the product to a Nassau port. He told The Tribune he has been in the construction business for more than
20 years. He came up with the “house in a box” idea and patented it in 1990 as an answer to what he said is a need for transportable houses in cases of emergencies and vacationing. “It takes approximately seven days to lower the sides, level it and put it together using the numbered system,” he said. “Everything’s wired, insulated and pre-finished. All the panels are finished and the bath-
room is in place. It comes with knockdown kitchen cabinets, just assemble. “The materials used are weather proof and resistant to salt water and other environmental pollutants. The panels are pleasingly pre-finished on both sides eliminating the need for any further painting or finishing. The windows and doors are in place as are the electric heating units and all necessary wiring.
“The plumbing is in place and ready to be connected to water and sewer. Once fully assembled the linoleum, or optional carpet, is laid on the floor giving the house a rich looking finish. The complete product has a 540sqft ground floor with an ample living area, kitchen, bathroom and two bedrooms,” he said. For more information email jpalibroda@gmail. com or call 1 604 825 6938
THE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, November 23, 2016, PAGE 11
MISS World Bahamas Ashley Hamilton takes a picture with Julia Oslund.
Miss World Bahamas welcomed to Washington THE Bahamas Embassy Consular Annex in Washington, DC hosted a reception for Miss World Bahamas Ashley Hamilton yesterday. The Miss World pageant will be held at the Gaylord hotel in the National Harbor at Oxen Hill, Maryland on December 18.
BAHAMAS Consul General to Washington, DC Paulette Zonicle introduces Miss World Bahamas Ashley Hamilton to a group of Bahamians who came out to support her yesterday at the consulate office in Washington, DC.
ZONTA CLUBS SEEK TO END VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN THE Zonta Clubs of The Bahamas have joined with clubs around the world this week to launch its annual “Say No To Domestic Violence” campaign along with 16 days of activism dedicated to raising community awareness on violence against women and children. Beginning on Thursday with a ‘Zonta Says No Forum’, a cross-section of Bahamians will gather for presentations by the Crisis Centre and the Trafficking in Persons Secretariat, with a short film on the ongoing issue of human trafficking
also to be shown at the forum. “Violence against women and girls is one of the most pervasive forms of human rights violations and is a global epidemic,” said Claudine Farquharson, president of the Zonta Club of New Providence. “It affects millions of women and girls and includes physical and sexual violence, harmful practices such as rape, genital mutilation and human trafficking. “Both the Zonta Club of New Providence and the Zonta Club of Nassau say ‘no’ to violence against
women and we hope that our local efforts in this global initiative will raise awareness right here in the Bahamas and increase actions to end violence against women and girls in our nation and around the world.” This year’s forum has been expanded to include nursing and education students at the University of the Bahamas as well as recruits from the Royal Bahamas Police Force and the Defence Force. Together, attendees will “paint the town orange” by tying orange-coloured ribbons on trees on Collins Avenue
and Bay Street as a symbol against domestic violence. The group will come together at the end in Rawson Square. “Such violence threatens countries, inhibits economic progress and prevents women from contributing to their community and creating better lives for themselves and their families,” said Ruthann Rolle, president of the Zonta Club of Nassau. “We want everyone to be reminded when they see those orange bows that violence against women and children is not just a problem for those individu-
als, but it’s a problem for everyone.” As a part of the National Women’s Week, Zonta is urging support of a t-shirt day on Friday where all participants wear orange tshirts in recognition of the International Day to End Violence Against Women. On Saturday, Zonta will display message boards at the National Women’s Day March/Fun Walk and Celebration from 8am to 12 noon. There, participants will be able to post messages against domestic violence in support of the campaign.
During the month of December, there will be several ongoing campaigns via social media with special hashtags used. On December 10, Zonta will close out its 16 days of activism by taking its message boards around the town in the Straw Market, Southwest Plaza and the Cost Right food store where the general public could add to the messages left over the course of the campaign. To follow the progress of the movement and for further details, log on to www. stoptheviolencebahamas. com.