12192024 NEWS

STRANDED BY BAHAMASAIR

Flights cancelled and passengers stuck after sickout

By LEANDRA ROLLE AND KEILE CAMPBELL Tribune Staff Reporters

HUNDREDS of Bahamians and tourists had their travel plans disrupted yesterday when Bahamasair cancelled most of its flights after 75 percent of its flight attendants called in sick and refused to report for duty.

The unexpected sick-out, reportedly over alleged outstanding pay, produced long lines of frustrated

passengers at Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) and other airports.

Bahamasair managing director Tracy Cooper called the action illegal during an emergency press conference, urging staff to return to work.

He said 12 of 16 flight attendants, ramp workers, and customer service reps called in sick, forcing the cancellation of dozens of domestic and international flights.

The workers are expected to return today after the airline secured a Supreme Court interim injunction against the Airport, Airline and Allied Workers Union (AAAWU), ordering Bahamasair staff to report to work “when scheduled to do so”/

The order prohibits staff from participating in any strike or industrial action,

inciting or intimidating others not to attend work, leaving their workplace when scheduled to be there or taking sick leave without a valid medical certificate.

A hearing on the application is scheduled for next month.

Many passengers were left scrambling for answers and alternatives yesterday.

Peter, a tourist from

Germany travelling with his partner, Jennifer, voiced frustration after hours of waiting with little to no communication from the airline.

“We were sitting around for hours with no information forthcoming,” he told The Tribune. “They finally said it was cancelled, but we’d already seen the news. Jennifer added: “We

Long lines for Christmas giveaway

POURING rain did little to dissuade hundreds from gathering at the Sports Centre yesterday for the Fox Foundation’s annual Christmas giveaway, with some sharing stories of desperation amid the high cost of living.

One woman camped out overnight.

“It’s hard out here, and this voucher will make

a difference, even if it’s small,” said the single mother. Another mother of three

boys joked about how much they eat and said that the voucher definitely helps. Cars stretched in long lines along the surrounding roads while dozens braved the rain on foot, all seeking a $50 food voucher in a red shopping bag. Giveaway organisers confirmed that some attendees had arrived as early as the night before, hoping their sacrifice would ensure they didn’t leave empty-handed.

found out from the media before we heard anything from Bahamasair.”

THE Court of Appeal has upheld a decision to revoke bail for Lindsay Shiver and Terrance Bethel, citing their failure to comply with strict bail conditions and actions that jeopardised their upcoming trial.

THE BOARD at Lynden Pindliing International Airport yesterday as Bahamasair flights were cancelled.

traffic queues for the Fox Foundation giveaway.

Photo: Chappell Whyms Jr

CELEBRATING THE BEST AT ARTS FESTIVAL

THE E Clement Bethel National Arts Festival awards were held yesterday at Bahamas Harvest Church, hosted by the Ministry of Youth, Sports, and Culture.

The awards ceremony highlighted participants who showed massive talents in dance, music, and art.

Photos: Chappell Whyms Jr

Stranded by Bahamasair

from page one

Peter emphasised the broader inconvenience caused by the cancellations, saying their plans were tightly linked to a connection to Costa Rica.

“This is no small thing to just cancel a flight like that. We now have to think about rescheduling or even canceling other flights,” he said.

For Bree, a local passenger, the sickout carried a deeply personal impact as she struggled to return home to her son after a week away.

“I’ve been trying to get home from Monday. I don’t have transportation or a place to stay, and this is very discouraging,” she shared, visibly emotional.

“Trying to get home to my son, and this is the experience I’m having. It’s major obstacle.”

Another local passenger expressed their frustration over the lack of preparation, saying: “If you got time, fly Bahamasair. If you don’t, don’t even bother because they’re going to screw you. This happens every year. Pay your people and stop ruining customers’ holidays.

Some students from the Family Islands were left heartbroken by the flight cancellations, unable to attend the national arts festival last night. Parents expressed frustration, saying they lost hundreds of dollars while students missed the chance to present their artistic pieces.

Mr Cooper said the sickout reduced the airline’s usual 24 daily flights to only four or five as of yesterday morning.

AAAWU representatives could not be reached for comment up to press time yesterday.

Chief labour consultant Bernard Evans said he could not confirm whether employees would face legal consequences but hoped they would not.

Mr Cooper expressed frustration at the timing of the action.

“It is again one of the reasons why we’re surprised because we know that the union and our members understand that this is peak time for the airline, and that there are a lot of persons that would be inconvenienced by a stunt like this, and therefore we’re surprised and we didn’t think this would occur,” he said.

Mr Cooper indicated that customers would not be penalised for the airline’s decisions. He said any usual fees or penalties would be waived and assured that the airline would contact the passengers involved to offer assistance.

He added that Bahamasair would do its best to restore smooth operations and explore ways to recover from the disruption.

The dispute between the airline and its staff stems from payment

‘I’ve been trying to get home from Monday. I don’t have transportation or a place to stay, and this is very discouraging. Trying to get home to my son, and this is the experience I’m having.’

disagreements linked to an industrial agreement covering July 2018 to 2023.

The five-year contract included an 11.5 percent salary increase, four salary increments annually, except for 2022, and a lump-sum COVID-19 payment for 2022.

Mr Cooper said Bahamasair complied with the agreement, including implementing an accelerated payment scheme requested by the AAAWU to ensure all payments were completed by the contract’s termination in 2023. Approximately $1.8m in retroactive payments was made over the seven months, the managing director said.

He said at the conclusion of the final payment in July 2023, the matter concerning salary percentages and increments was considered resolved.

However, in September 2023, following a change in union leadership, the AAAWU claimed some increments were still owed and demanded six additional increments with back pay.

He said Bahamasair does not agree with this stance. According to the company, meeting the request would

mean revisiting an existing contract that already included an 11.5 percent salary increase and five increments.

Mr Cooper described the demand as “unheard of”, particularly considering that the agreement covered three years affected by COVID19, one of the airline’s most challenging periods.

Mr Cooper said the Department of Labour was asked to intervene, but despite Bahamasair offering a new proposal for two additional increments effective February 2025, no resolution has been reached.

He said Bahamasair planned to take the matter to the Industrial Tribunal and abide by its conclusions.

However, he claimed the AAAWU did not respond and instead chose to undertake what he described as an illegal and unwarranted industrial action.

The disruption comes as Bahamasair also grapples with aircraft shortages. Two ATR planes remain grounded due to mechanical issues, while another plane stranded in West Palm Beach due to a blown tire was expected to return to service this week.

• See more in Tribune Business

CHIEF Labour consultant Bernard Evans speaks during a press briefing at the Office of the Prime Minister yesterday.

Photo: Dante Carrer/Tribune Staff

PASSENGERS on phones and trying to get answers yesterday after a sickout by Bahamasair staff.

Photo: Keile Campbell/Tribune Staff

‘RUNNING OUT OF ROOM’ AT PUBLIC CEMETERIES

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

WORKS Minister Clay Sweeting said the government hopes to expand New Providence’s public cemetery amid reports that it is running out of space.

During yesterday’s Office of the Prime Minister press briefing, Mr Sweeting said he is aware of the need to expand the Spikenard Road

public cemetery but could not say by how much the cemetery will be expanded. Mr Sweeting said the ministry is currently assessing available Crown land. He said once the acreage is identified, the number of plots can be determined. He said within the next few months, an expansion is expected as a scope of works has been established, including plans for fencing the designated area.

The minister indicated that these developments could materialize within the next six months.

He was pressed on plans to change the cemetery’s management amid complaints that the graveyard is unkept.

The minister said the ministry has someone who inspects the cemetery and contracts another when the graveyard is not manicured correctly.

GOVERNOR General Dame Cynthia Pratt hosted the Prime Minister and Cabinet Ministers at their annual luncheon, which took place at Government House on Tuesday. Pictured seated with the Governor General, centre, are Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Philip Davis, third left; and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation, Chester Cooper, third right. Also seated from left: Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Michael Darville, Minister of Immigration and National Insurance Alfred Sears, Minister of Education and Technical and Vocational Training Glenys HannaMartin, and Minister of Housing and Urban Renewal Keith Bell. Standing from left: Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources Jomo Campbell, Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg, Minister of National Security Wayne Munroe, Minister of Economic Affairs Michael Halkitis, Minister of Energy and Transport JoBeth Coleby-Davis, Minister of Social Services, Information and Broadcasting Myles LaRoda, Minister of Labour and the Public Service Pia Glover-Rolle, Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister Leon Lundy, Minister for Grand Bahama Ginger Moxey, Minister of Works and Family Island Affairs Clay Sweeting, and Minister of State for the Environment Zane Lightbourne.

COUSIN SAYS SHE OPENED EDWILENO HOLDINGS AT GIBSON’S REQUEST

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

allegations that he failed to disclose personal interests in Water and Sewerage Corporation contracts, heard testimony yesterday from his cousin, Rashae Gibson, regarding the

handling of a company account linked to him.

Ms Gibson testified that she opened Edwileno Holdings at his request and that both she and Lanado Gibson were listed

as owners, with Adrian Gibson as the main contact. She said she did not authorise him to access the account, yet thousands of dollars were deposited into it by him.

According to her testimony, these funds were used to purchase property, including a $46,050 manager’s cheque dated September 27, 2021, for Lot 89 on Farrington and Warren Street. She said she never approved the purchase or visited the property.

Ms Gibson further claimed that her signature was forged on several documents and that she had no knowledge of a purported Edwileno Holdings board meeting in December 2017

or the use of her home address as the company’s address.

As director of Elite Maintenance, she said she never authorised payments to the Silver Lining Company. She also discussed a previous property transaction, originally involving an entity called Blue Bliss, in which Edwileno Holdings ultimately became the buyer after Blue Bliss withdrew.

Defence attorneys objected to the introduction of certain bank documents, arguing that a Scotiabank representative should have verified them. The court allowed the documents after prosecutors noted that Ms Gibson, as a listed owner, could identify them. Ms Gibson’s earlier charges were dropped after she agreed to cooperate with the prosecution. She was recalled for further cross-examination following a previous adjournment over legal issues. Adrian Gibson stands trial alongside Elwood Donaldson Jr, Joan Knowles, Peaches Farquharson, and Jerome Missick. The defense team includes Damian Gomez KC, Murrio Ducille KC, Geoffrey Farquharson, Ian Cargill, Bryan Bastian, Ryan Eve, and Raphael Moxey. The prosecution is led by Director of Public Prosecutions Cordell Frazier, with Karine MacVean and others.

MINISTER of Works and Family Island Affairs Clay Sweeting speaks during a press briefing at the Office of The Prime Minister yesterday. Photo: Dante Carrer/Tribune Staff

LONG Island MP Adrian Gibson, currently on trial with others amid

LONG LINES FOR FOX CHRISTMAS GIVEAWAY

from page one

By mid-morning, the sidewalks along Bahamas Games Boulevard were dotted with rain-soaked individuals. Roughly 40 people stood waiting in raincoats or under umbrellas.

The conditions added to the weight of the event.

Children clutched umbrellas or played in the spaces between queues, their innocence contrasting with the tense expressions of their parents.

Frustration began to build as the crowd grew, with some questioning whether they would receive vouchers. Others voiced concerns about fairness, pointing out that the line of cars moved faster than those waiting on foot.

There were also reports of people doubling back to secure extra vouchers, an issue organisers were aware of despite setting a policy of “one voucher per vehicle”. Enforcing the rule proved challenging.

“If someone double backs, it means they need it,” said Adrianna Fox, co-founder of the Fox Foundation. “So yes, we do say one voucher per car, but

it’s basically discretionary. If you see old persons, why would you tell an elderly lady no? Elderly man no? If you see kids, you know that person needed it.”

Many described how economic pressures drove their attendance.

“We don’t have no one, don’t have no help to get by, but it’s a nice thing when there are people who try to do the right thing, and give back to their community,” said one woman, Ms Scott. Ms Fox expressed pride in the organisation’s impact as it celebrated its tenth anniversary. She said the foundation is giving away over $300,000 in food vouchers at the Sports Centre, distributed in $75 increments, as part of their efforts to bring relief to Bahamians during the holiday season.

She emphasised that

the foundation’s efforts go beyond a single day or season.

“Through the years, we started in Kemp Road just doing little turkey giveaways,” she said. “We got into other things like disaster relief during Dorian. We started the food voucher drive, our legacy of leaders event, and scholarship giveaways. I think the Fox Foundation gives something every day. Mr Fox gives a donation to one Bahamian person, I think, on a daily basis.”

She noted the significant demand for the foundation’s aid, pointing to the long lines and people arriving as early as the night before.

Ms Fox urged local businesses to support initiatives like theirs, acknowledging that the government cannot meet all the needs alone.

Decision to reject Shiver bail upheld

from page one

The appellate court said both people posed a significant flight risk and had shown blatant disregard for the rules set by the Supreme Court.

Shiver, an American citizen, and Bethel, a Bahamian resident, face charges stemming from allegations of conspiring to kill Shiver’s estranged husband. Both were initially granted bail under strict conditions.

Shiver was allowed to return to the United States under electronic monitoring and ordered to reside at her parents’ home in Alabama,

while Bethel was required to live in New Providence and report regularly to the police.

The revocation stemmed from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) allegations that both violated their bail conditions. Evidence presented in showed Shiver had taken unauthorised trips to Florida, stayed at multiple unauthorised addresses, and rented a separate home.

Bethel was found to have repeatedly failed to sign in at the designated police station in New Providence. Additionally, both participated in a televised

interview on Good Morning America, discussing the ongoing case despite prior warnings from the Supreme Court to refrain from public commentary.

“This is a clear breach of the court’s order,” the appellate judges wrote, rejecting Shiver’s argument that she had not violated her bail terms because she had not legally changed her residence.

The court clarified that to “reside” somewhere required her to remain at her designated address in Alabama physically.

“This court will not be led astray by semantics,” the ruling said.

‘PLEASED’ BY EARLY AMBASSADOR NOMINATION

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

PRESS secretary Keishla Adderley said the Davis administration is pleased by US President-elect Donald Trump’s early announcement that he will appoint Herschel Walker as the US ambassador to The Bahamas.

“Of course, that is pending confirmation,” she noted, referring to the Senate process that confirms ambassador appointments.

“This is something that the administration has lobbied for and is happy to see the reinstatement of US representation in The Bahamas in its highest form for the first time since the Obama administration.”

The US has not had an ambassador to The Bahamas in 13 years. Nicole Avant served as the most recent United States ambassador to The Bahamas, holding the position from 2009 to 2011.

Mr Walker’s campaign for a Geroge Senate seat in 2022 was mired in controversy. He was accused of domestic abuse and faced reports that he paid for a girlfriend’s abortion despite

his strong, public anti-abortion stance. Asked about these, Ms Adderely said: “The appointee is at the prerogative of the United States of America. We are happy to work with whoever that appointee may be.” She added: “We are, of course, looking to ensure that the mutual interests of both countries are observed and that we continue to deepen and strengthen the relationship that we’ve shared over the many decades.” During President

Obama’s administration, Cassandra Butts was nominated as ambassador in 2014, but she passed away before her confirmation could be completed.

President Donald Trump nominated Doug “Papa” Manchester in 2017, but Manchester withdrew his candidacy in 2019. Following this, Mr Trump put forward William Douglass as a nominee the next year.

After President Trump lost the 2020 election, Mr Douglass’ nomination was also withdrawn.

Bethel’s claim that he had been reporting to his original police station in Marsh Harbour, Abaco, was also dismissed. The court emphasised that his bail conditions had been explicitly varied to require reporting to the Elizabeth Estates Police Station in New Providence. The judges deemed his actions a “blatant disregard” for the court’s orders.

The court strongly condemned the appellants’ participation in the televised interview, describing it as “a spit in the face of justice”. The judges found that their public commentary on the case risked

influencing potential jurors and undermining the integrity of the trial.

“By trying this matter in the arena of public opinion, the respondents have encroached upon the constitutional right to a fair trial,” the court ruled.

The judges also expressed concern for Shiver’s safety, citing an incident in which she reported being assaulted by her boyfriend in the United States. Although a protection order was in place, the court concluded that revoking her bail was necessary to ensure her safety and appearance at trial.

Ultimately, the court

determined that Shiver and Bethel posed significant flight risks. Shiver’s unauthorised movements and Bethel’s pattern of noncompliance led the judges to conclude that neither could be trusted to abide by their bail conditions.

“This court is of the view that there are no strict terms and conditions of bail which can be implemented to ensure the return of the respondents for trial,” the judgment said. With their appeals dismissed, Shiver and Bethel remain in custody, awaiting their trial scheduled for March 2025.

HERSCHEL WALKER

SCENES at the Fox Foundation giveaway yesterday. Photos: Chappell Whyms Jr

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Bahamasair union action ill advised

THE industrial action by Bahamasair staff yesterday – at least, those who are members of the Airport, Airline and Allied Workers Union (AAWU) – will have won them no friends.

The word started coming in early to The Tribune. People were checked in, at least in some locations, only to find no sign of a plane boarding. Minutes became hours as passengers found themselves stranded, with places to go but no plane to take them.

The lack of information was a great frustration to many, with no firm answers to find out what passengers should do, or where they should go.

Some were depending on the flight to catch interconnecting flights to go elsewhere. Some were simply trying to get to see their family in time for Christmas.

One woman talked of how she had been getting to see her son, as she was visibly distressed.

Elsewhere, tourists talked of never returning to The Bahamas if this is the standard they can expect.

The union’s voice was absent, even as conferences were held by Bahamasair and at the Office of the Prime Minister.

If Bahamasair’s points are correct, then the workers taking this sickout action received a Christmas bonus on Friday. Tracy Cooper, the airline’s managing director, spelled out the terms of the industrial agreement that ran from 2018 until July last year, which included an 11.5 percent salary increase, four salary increments annually except for 2022 and a lump-sum COVID-19 payment in 2022.

But in September, he said, the AAAWU claimed some increments were still owed and the union demanded six additional increments with back pay. There lies the dispute.

We suspect many readers will have little sympathy with the decision to take industrial action over a contract that had already been resolved – particularly at a time close to Christmas where the outcome is not only disruption, but heartache.

The union can tell the mother waiting for her son why they were right to cause her that pain. The members can tell the visitors trying to work out how they can catch the flight they were connecting with why the union’s situation trumps the visitor’s plans. They can tell family members making haste to rearrange flights –some vowing never to use Bahamasair again. If there is a dispute, it ought to have been resolved in a more amicable fashion.

If the union feels the company was in breach of contract, it could have taken the matter to court.

But there is no reason to leave people suffering in silence, waiting for updates even as the news, The Tribune included, is giving more information than Bahamasair itself. This was a foolhardy endeavour, and an injunction swiftly brought will hopefully mean the end of it.

The union’s leaders had better not be hoping for too many Christmas cards this year.

Mediocrity in plain sight

EDITOR, The Tribune.

“WHERE there is no vision, the people will perish”. Everywhere I turn, guys are bending and kneeling painting road curbs and sidewalks out Cable Beach. Broken, and badly need of repair curbs, overgrown by bush and grass curbs, a piece of curbing, not one will escape the mad painters. Unfortunately, we are again wasting the Public Treasury money to givea-way a few Christmas Contracts.

Mediocrity in plain sight!

The house paint being used will be black and barely visible by next week. Why can’t we ever get the Government to do it right. The only curb and sidewalks done correctly out Cable Beach is on Baha Mar Blvd and the portion of West Bay Street surrounding the Baha Mar Resort. Properly

constructed, and not one drop of white house paint. Of course this is being maintained by the Cable Beach Hotel Association. Come on! The definition of doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is called Insanity!

Considering Cable Beach was once considered the Bahamian Riviera where tourist flock to the area hotels, it is pretty much a sad sight to see. Our medians, verges and curbs are desperately in need of repair, and overgrown bush, and lack of trimming and edging is a sad affair for one of the country’s most popular touristic destination. The contrast between the nicely kept and manicure Baha Mar area of West Bay Street makes this even more apparent. Don’t misunderstand my complaint now, I see the

Just imagine - if you can

EDITOR, The Tribune.

men and ladies in the area every month cleaning and cutting the verges, however, that is all that is done. Major repairs and redesign is now required since it’s all broken down, and not becoming of Cable Beach.

I wonder if the Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Tourism, Aviation & Investment traverse this area of Cable Beach?

I assume he attends Cabinet meetings at the Sir Cecil Wallace-Whitfield Centre? I know the Prime Ministers do, since I have seen his vehicle heading to the Sir Cecil WallaceWhitfield Centre. What are they seeing while being chauffeured to their destination?

I guess the country is really on autopilot.

BA SWEETING Nassau, December 18, 2024.

Ambassador nominee

EDITOR, The Tribune.

CERTAINLY pleased that the US in-coming President will nominate a fully-fledged Ambassador to The Bahamas...finally what 14-16 years since Amb Nicole Avant (liked by many)

Can or would The Bahamas dare to reject a nomination?

There are some very critical unsavory allegations floating, yes seemingly unproven which might raise eyebrows! US confirmation will I suspect raise them as nominations for ‘political nominations as Ambassadors’ always do even with Republican majority in both Houses…Time will tell.

J BURROWS Nassau, December 18, 2024.

BAHAMIAN proverbs and ol’ sayings of yesteryears used to be a staple in teaching or directing the youth who have now grown up to become today’s senior citizens. Back in the ol’ days before electricity was connected to every house in the neighbourhoods, a lot of oral and other traditions held sway to keep most Bahamians on the straight and narrow paths of goodness. Book knowledge was always celebrated, but learning a trade by both young men and young women was just as valued. Idle hands were seen as, and said to be, the devil’s workshop. So, if one didn’t want to catch hell, he/she would find something worthwhile to do. Those were the good ol’ days when a person’s word(s) would mean something. Sadly, for far too many Bahamians do not have a clue of such history and traditions. What a ting!

Nostalgia can often paint pictures of the past with hues from such brilliant and beautiful palettes that sometimes those recollections might seem idealistic; too good to be true. Compared to much of what we see today in our Bahamaland, the present and the past can be contrasted as much as night and day. What a ting!

Maybe, one day one of those exceptional acapella groups will do a spirited version in song on the theme ‘bring back the good ol’ days’. Of course, it will not resonate with some Bahamians who know little to nothing of the good ol’ days, and others of privilege will still not be able to relate to such a sentiment because they have had (and still have) nothing but good days. Conversely - and Ironically enough - there are a whole lot of folks who have not yet seen good days, as they linger at the bottom rung of our social ladder. That segment of Bahamian society has most likely failed to get strategically hitched to one or another of the two major political parties (ter get fix up).

Politics in The Bahamas has certainly had its glorious triumphs, as well as tragedies. We have also seen some very shameful

episodes over the more than half century since political parties really took hold of directing Bahamian realities. For those not blinded by the lights of die hard partisanism, it’s patently clear to see that Peter ain’t no better than Paul. As I used to hear innumerable times in my youth, “six uh one, and half-dozen uh da udder!”

Without that dilemma in both politics and governance, we would have had so much more progressive movement by now that The Bahamas could have been such a sparkling jewel in our turquoise Lucayan Seas. This place would have been internationally admired as the example of what a relatively small independent nation could achieve.

Just imagine if the “Golden Girls”, then “the Golden Boys” could be so magnificent in the world of athletics, wouldn’t it be something to have the collective Bahamas cited as “the Golden People” for stellar achievements in developing these 700 islands, rocks and cays into the very best that they can be?

Instead, as the war drums of political wranglings begin to sound again, leading up to the next general elections, already we can see (and smell) the flinging of all kinds of stale manure between the two major political parties. Wouldn’t it be something if that paradigm changed to a healthy competition instead to see which camp could do more than the other in improving the lives of each and every Bahamian?

Just imagine - groups of supporters, donned in t-shirts of those two primary colours, could move about in every community/ constituency addressing the needs, as well as the aspirations of their constituents in order to develop the best outcomes for all of their fellow Bahamians!

Just imagine - when one party comes up with a good idea, the other party would be right there coming up

with an even better one. We would be building as opposed to breaking down. To borrow a once-whispered slogan, “everybody wins!”

All the vicious tribalism of the past and the present could receive its ceremonial last rites, then be laid to rest in the annals of Bahamian history.

Well, so much for my tour down Fantasy Lane.

Some of us may take solace in having had the ability to see The Bahamas that once was, as well as The Bahamas that is. There are those among us who only get to see The Bahamas that we have devolved into as of late, and a sad one that is. So very sad. In order for a change to come in the game of vicious, vindictive party politics here in The Bahamas, those who benefit from the way things are can hardly be expected to change those ways. What a ting! As far as “third parties” poking their heads up every now and then, they mostly seem to be worse than that duelling duo. So, that would bring us back to the ‘first beginning doe’ and drop us from the frying pan into the fire.

To look at our dynamics through another pair of lenses, I can picture the days when we, as barefoot (and oftentimes also bareback) youngsters would play “roundance/rounders” in the road with a tennis ball and broomstick bat. After being on “the field” for so long, invariably someone would want to change the rules --- for example, two strikes, (instead of three) and ya out. But, those at bat would never agree to such changes and risk having to change places with the other team sooner. More and more expressions of discontent with both major political parties are being sounded across the airwaves daily. It’s only a matter of time to see if that’s simply hot air, or an omen that Bahamians are truly opening their eyes to see that they can have six of one, half a dozen of the other ..... or neither one of those two staples. What a ting!

December 15, 2024.

A SCENE at the E Clement Bethel National Arts Festival awards yesterday. Photo: Chappell Whyms Jr

Junkanoo groups ready for Bay St showdown

By JADE RUSSELL AND LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporters

EXCITEMENT is building as Junkanoo groups prepare to showcase costumes, music, and performances in this year’s parades.

Roots is among the groups preparing for a performance. Kyle Stubbs, public relations director for Roots, said his group remains focused on securing victory in both the Boxing Day and New Year’s Junkanoo parades, despite recent tensions within the Junkanoo community.

Mr Stubbs noted that Roots has deliberately stayed quiet amid the discord in the Valley Boys, emphasising that its primary goal is success on Bay Street.

“Us being quiet means we’ve been working, and we’ve been working diligently,” he told The Tribune yesterday. “What we are hearing now, making our rounds around practices and just seeing some conversation on social media, is don’t be surprised if Roots catch one or two of y’all slipping.”

Roots is nearly finished with its preparations, with members adding the final touches to their banners, choreography, and costumes. The group’s theme this year, “Jam Rock,” is inspired by Jamaica’s food, culture, history, and music.

Mr Stubbs said spectators will be transported on a journey through Jamaica, featuring vibrant costumes and musical tributes to the island’s rich heritage, which has had a lasting impact on the Caribbean and the world.

The iconic Saxons Superstars are another group to watch, as they return to defend their title with a bold and imaginative display. Kendenique Campbell-Moss, Media Relations Officer for the Saxons Superstars, emphasised their innovative preparations.

“The Saxons Superstars will manoeuvre the boulevard in a way that it has never been done before,” she said. “We are bringing you a kaleidoscope of

colours, mystique, energy, and most of all, music that our ancestors would be proud of. Expect cinema ––expect dramatic influence on Bay Street.”

One Family Junkanoo Group, led by chairman Vernon Rolle, is also preparing for a vibrant showing.

“Preparation for the Boxing Day and New Year’s is going great,” he said.

“This Boxing Day, you will see a new theme on Bay Street: Coastal Paradise: Let’s Save Our Beaches. After last year’s defeat, we went back to the drawing board and came up with new ideas and designs. Expect a very colorful parade, and our choreography girls will be back in full force. The music will be pumping, and the crowd will dance and sing as we rush along Bay Street.”

Nicole Sutherland King, vice-chair of Genesis, shared her confidence in her group’s readiness to lead off the parade. “Coming off our practice last night, we had an amazing practice,” she said. “The group was energised. We’ve seen some old faces back on the road, and we have new people in

the group. We are excited about our themes.”

Genesis will present “Echoes of Polynesia” as their Boxing Day theme.

The parade will feature 23 D-Division individual acts, 13 B-Division groups, and eight A-Division groups, ensuring a thrilling night for all.

The A-Division lineup for this year’s Boxing Day parade includes Genesis, Prodigal Sons, Music Makers, One Family, the World-Famous Valley Boys, Roots, the Shell Saxons Superstars, and the Way Forward.

For the B-Division, groups include Fancy Dancers, Immortals, Original Congos, Foundations, Conquerors for Christ, Body of Christ, Colours, The Mighty Eagle, Mystical Bombers, Redland Soldiers, Dynasty, The New Vikings, and Z-Bandits.

Organisers have announced an earlier start time of 9pm on Christmas Day, December 25, instead of the traditional midnight launch. This adjustment aims to better accommodate large costumes and ensure the event runs smoothly.

FOSSIL FUEL MOVE PRAISED

THE Bahamas has been praised for joining a growing bloc of nations advocating for the negotiation of a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty. Our Islands, Our Future said it has advocated for a permanent ban on oil drilling in The Bahamas, due to the “catastrophic risks such activities pose”.

OIOF said: “This decision to join the Fossil Fuel Treaty amplifies that advocacy and solidifies The Bahamas’ leadership role in addressing the climate crisis.”

Andurah Daxon, executive director of Waterkeepers Bahamas, also lauded the move, saying: “The climate crisis is a clear and present danger to The Bahamas and other small island nations. While joining this treaty is a step in the right direction, we remain resolute in our call for a permanent ban on offshore oil drilling.”

Casuarina McKinney-Lambert, executive director of The Bahamas Reef Environment Educational Foundation, said: “This is another step in the right direction, and we are proud to stand with nations around the world to say: no more fossil fuels, no more oil drilling. Our people, our biodiversity, and our economy depend on it.”

Isaiah Back-Gaal, of Waterkeeper Alliance, said: “The Bahamas has joined a critical global effort to end the destructive cycle of fossil fuel dependence.”

SCENES from last season’s Junkanoo parades on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day featuring, from left, Roots, Saxons Superstars, Genesis and One Family.

This column is dedicated to all parents and families with newborn infants. When a newborn opens his or her eyes, they are seeing the world for the first time. They are disoriented, finding their way, becoming human through the face, gaze and love of others, especially parents and family.

A baby begins to explore the world though the wonder and awe of new things. They put all manner of things in their mouths. They touch things.

Various sounds and sights often mesmerise them. Babies discover the world through play, learning and exploration. As we age, we should grow in wisdom and insight. We no longer need to learn not to bite into a goat pepper like its candy or fruit. Children quickly learn a variety of basic lessons. A certain wisdom tends to come with adulthood and our senior years. Still, with ageing, our sight and insight is sometimes diminished. Our

biases often become more entrenched. Our blind spots can widen and deepen from mere spots to gaps.

The disappointments, failings and tribulations of life can narrow our vision, and shutter our eyes and imagination. Glaucoma of the spirit can render us unsighted.

Pride of all degrees and flavors, including intellectual pride, can obscure new insights, discoveries, and ways of thinking beyond what we learned in our formative years into

adulthood. This includes those of us who may dogmatically adhere to various ideological confines and borders.

Sometimes we fail to see nuances and a wider palette of colors and thought. Our vision is more panoramic when we are able to hold certain contradictions and ironies in creative tension in our imaginations and hearts.

It is remarkable the number of “learned” men of his era, including scientists, who pilloried Charles Darwin’s ideas and studies on the origins of the species and natural selection. They could not see anew because they were paralysed by outdated and defensive thinking and mindsets.

Even the great Albert Einstein sometimes had limited vision. The Catholic priest cosmologist, theoretical physicist and mathematician Georges Lemaître, possessed profound insights and theories of an expanding universe and “the primeval atom”, the precursor to the Big Bang model.

The idea of an expanding universe triggered a profound and difficult question: “What happened at the beginning of time?” Einstein famously upbraided Lemaître: “Your calculations are correct, but your physics is abominable.”

Nevertheless, the priest’s core insight was correct, which Einstein later admitted. It was the man of faith who helped the brilliant agnostic to see something new. To his credit, Einstein, who remained open to growth, advised: “He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed.”

Along with the conceit of pride, one the great blinders, which encrusts or closes our eyes, is anger. This deadly sin often blinds us, seizes our emotions and will, causing us to make harsh judgments and to see phantoms and ghosts which exist mostly or only in our fevered imaginations.

Anger may cause us to spin out of control and to do and say things we regret. It can induce judgements that are deeply flawed. Anger, like cataracts, can incapacitate us from seeing the reality before us. Anger robs us and our loved ones of peace.

What might a newborn teach us? The birth of a child in a family may help us to refocus beyond family divisions, past or current conflicts, and other valleys of pain and hurt.

Like a newborn, it is often good to have a certain disoriented vision or second naiveté, empowering us to explore and to reimagine the world, oneself, others, and the mystery of creation and God in fundamental

and new ways.

Lord, help me to see with new eyes should be a refrain of Advent and Christmas! Isaiah 43:19 is an invitation to seeing with eyes, hearts, and imaginations wide open:

“See, I am doing a new thing!

Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

Do you not perceive it,” asks the prophet? Through God’s redeeming love and power, and our response to this love, life-giving springs and ways may be made in the wilderness and wasteland of our sinfulness, addictions, brokenness, diagnoses of ill health, impending death, and our fears, pride and anger.

Abundant streams of hope and healing may appear in even the driest and most barren caverns of our dusty souls.

There is a specific newborn who offers the promise of new life. The Incarnation of God in human history in the person of Jesus Christ transformed human being and longing.

At Christmas, we celebrate and commemorate this new way of seeing with and through the eyes of Christ. Christmas is an invitation to love. The Jesuit priest and paleontologist, Pierre Teilhard De Chardin, SJ, a theologian whose prose was highly poetic, articulated this invitation.

“Someday, after mastering the winds, the waves, the tides and gravity, we shall harness for God the energies of love, and then, for a second time in the history of the world, man will have discovered fire.”

Fire often purifies. It purifies the resonance and call of the goatskin drum. The fire of love can purify the soul of spiritual and moral blindness. This Christmas, how may we purify the ways we think of other people and the manner in which we act toward others.

How can be purify our judgments, our conceits, our indifference, our words,

our negative and harmful thoughts, our closed and checkered eyes? This is a personal journey. It is also a communal journey and mandate.

We look again to Isaiah:

“Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.”

As a people of faith and as a society striving to be more civil, just, humane and Christian, how do we better pry open our often shuttered eyes to the inequality, hunger, and lack of opportunity for many of our fellow human beings and citizens?

Do we perceive the needs and rights of the marginalized, as well as the entrenched structural reasons for inequality?

This includes the various economic monopolies and conglomerates which horde wealth, often protected by some in the political class, who benefit from certain arrangements of power and mammon.

The Incarnation and remembrance of this divine love at Christmas reminds us of the radical dignity of ourselves, the very same radical dignity inherent in others. A reminder of this dignity may allow us to see with new eyes, often closed by the burdens of our daily lives and the human baggage we all need to discard. In his Urbi et Orbi (to the City [Rome]) and the World Christmas blessing of 2022, Pope Francis offered: “If we want it to be Christmas, the Birth of Jesus and of peace, let us look to Bethlehem and contemplate the face of the Child who is born for us! And in that small and innocent face, let us see the faces of all those children who, everywhere in the world, long for peace.”

Through the small and innocent faces and eyes of newborns in our families and communities, let us look with more open and wondrous eyes, how may be better friends and family members, more forgiving, more merciful, more loving. Through the eyes and faces of vulnerable children in our society, may be better realize the demands of the Kingdom of God, beginning with a society in which no child in this country should go hungry or be in need of the basic material and nonmaterial goods of life. May we grant to ourselves and to others more gentleness, kindness and harmony. And we might ever recall in good and tough times the balm offered from the Swiss theologian, Karl Barth: “Joy is the simplest form of gratitude!” A blessed and joyous Christmas.

Biden showing his age as he heads toward exit

ONE president is exiting the White House amid increasing reports of his frailty. His successor is riding high. What does it all mean?

More and more frequently, the mainstream press is reporting on the steady slide toward the exit door of Joe Biden. He has undertaken long trips overseas, including recent ones to the southwest African nation of Angola and to the Amazon rain forest.

Angola is a formerly obscure country that has grown in importance in recent years as the USChina global rivalry has spread and intensified. And the trip to Brazil underscored his commitment to the environment. But these were not mandatory journeys for Biden.

When the trips were announced, it almost seemed like the president was still trying to prove to himself and to the world that all the accumulating evidence of his physical and mental decline was premature and erroneous.

If that’s the intent, it’s not working. Ever since his calamitous late June debate performance against his

STATESIDE

with Charlie Harper

seemingly perpetual rival Donald Trump, it’s been an open secret that Biden’s infirmities were correctly described by former US Attorney Robert Hur, who was appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate charges that Biden had mishandled classified documents.

In his report to Garland on February 5, 2024, Hur was prophetically accurate in two of his basic conclusions after an exhaustive investigation that concluded with a recommendation against prosecution.

Here are key remarks, taken from Hur’s final report. On Biden’s sense of himself: “During his long career in public service, Biden has seen himself as a historic figure. Elected to the Senate at age 29, he considered

running for president as early as 1980 and did so in 1988, 2008 and 2020. He believed his record in the Senate made him worthy of the presidency, and he collected papers and artifacts related to significant issues and events in his career.

“He used these materials to publish memoirs in 2007 and 2017, to document his legacy and provide evidence that he was a man of presidential timber.”

These conclusions by Hur offer a convincing explanation for Biden’s public posture for at least the past 36 years, and in particular offer real clues to his behaviour during this calendar year, when he abandoned his 2020 pledge to serve one term as a “bridge candidate” to a younger generation of political leadership in the US.

While Biden has long presented himself as a common man born to a workingclass family with blue collar roots, he clearly has seen himself and continues to see himself as someone with extraordinary gifts. Hence the reluctance to voluntarily step aside earlier this year.

Here is Hur’s other key conclusion. This is the one that garnered headlines around the world and offered the first key clue to Biden’s impaired condition: “Biden is a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.”

Remember how the Democrats universally denounced Hur’s conclusion, even though they relieved the president of the embarrassment of sharing an indictment with Trump on similar charges

of mishandling classified material?

There was outrage and indignation all over America’s front pages. And then it turned out that Hur, a former Republican-appointed US attorney, was not only right but even sympathetic in his portrayal of Biden. It’s not outrageous to suggest, as many have done, that Biden’s refusal to step aside and permit the Democratic Party to conduct a competitive contest to determine his successor foredoomed any chance of defeating Trump again.

Speaking of whom, the president-elect is clearly enjoying life. We’re not hearing accounts of his golf exploits with friendly touring professionals or wealthy buddies these days. Instead, Trump is defying yet another American political tradition by holding press conferences and basically acting as though he has already taken the oath of office – an event still over four weeks away in the future.

His inauguration is shaping up as something of a coronation. Foreign heads of state are beginning to line up to attend the ceremony as special VIP guests. We will see how extensive this particular guest list turns out to be, but there may be several surprises when the final tally is revealed.

Meantime, two GOP office holders in widely differing jurisdictions have confided that they remain hopeful Trump will calm down soon and realise there are no more electoral battles to fight and win, nor is there any more revenge necessary against real and imagined opponents. Perhaps he will realise that his reelection was sufficient validation, they hope.

Congress departs for its Christmas recess at the end of this week. The mad rush to push Democratic judicial nominations through the Senate while Biden’s party remains in control will have been completed.

Efforts to secure support from skeptical senators by Trump’s more controversial cabinet nominees will also subside for the holidays. After the withdrawal of the notably unqualified Matt Gaetz from Trump’s nomination to be Attorney General, the others have stayed the course in their efforts to prevail. While most of the attention has been on Defense Secretary nominee and former Fox News host Pete Hegseth, others have quietly been pursuing their ambitions on Capitol Hill.

Those others also include Trump’s pick to head America’s national law enforcement agency – the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). In selecting a dedicated sycophant and acolyte in Kash Patel, the president-elect has picked someone whose main qualification for the position seems to be his eagerness to wreak revenge on Trump’s foes and critics.

The FBI was for many decades operated as a power base for its first and most notable director, J Edgar Hoover. Hoover might have been the most powerful person in Washington for many of his astounding 48 years at the

helm of the FBI and its predecessor organisation.

He reportedly used the FBI’s formidable personnel and technical resources to harass and sabotage political dissidents including the Rev Martin Luther King, Jr. and many of the famous Kennedy politicians.

He also allegedly collected information on officials and private citizens using illegal surveillance, wiretapping, and burglaries. Hoover was able to intimidate and threaten many other high-ranking political and social celebrities.

In the 50-odd years since Hoover died when Richard Nixon was the American president, the FBI has been much more apolitical, by the explicit wish of most of the rest of Washington, including Congress and the Executive Branch. Directors were given ten-year terms specifically to at least partially insulate them from political pressure.

The incumbent director, Christopher Wray, is a Republican lawyer and Washington insider who was appointed to his ten-year term by Trump after James Comey was summarily fired early in Trump’s first term, during an FBI investigation into ties between Russia and Trump’s campaign.

But Wray has angered Trump, and that’s not good for job security.

Result: Wray resigned last week with three years to go in his term, saying he was trying to avert a collision with the new Trump administration that would have further entangled the FBI “deeper into the political fray”.

“My goal is to keep the focus on our mission — the indispensable work you’re doing on behalf of the American people every day,” Wray told agency employees. “In my view, this is the best way to avoid dragging the bureau deeper into the fray, while reinforcing the values and principles that are so important to how we do our work.”

One example of Wray’s disloyalty occurred last year, when he described in detail Russian efforts to interfere in the 2020 election that Trump lost to Democrat Joe Biden, even though Trump and senior officials in his administration, including his attorney general and national security adviser, had maintained that China represented a greater threat. Wray also said the FBI had not seen evidence of widespread voter fraud, another claim that Trump still has not abandoned.

We’ll see how Patel’s candidacy for FBI director moves through the Senate. But its fate will be watched carefully.

Signs of a rocky road ahead for House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson are evident. His GOP majority will be even slimmer than in the last Congress, and with Democrats likely to be united in opposition to many of Trump’s initiatives, only a couple of defections will spell defeat. That in turn will embolden ambitious rivals for House leadership, perhaps most notably including stalwart Trump ally Jim Jordan, and several others.

PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN, first lady Jill Biden and grandson Beau Biden step out of Brandywine Catholic Church in Wilmington, Delaware, yesterday. Wednesday marked the 52nd anniversary of the car crash that killed Joe Biden’s first wife Neilia Hunter Biden and 13-month-old daughter Naomi. Photo: Ben Curtis/AP

Death Notice for Donald E. Russell, 81 affectionally known as Don

of Blair Estates, Nassau, The Bahamas, died at his residence, on Monday, 16th December, 2024.

He was predeceased by his parents, William B. (W.B.) Russell and Winifred V. Russell and his brother, Terry Russell.

He is survived by his wife, Joan J. Russell; son, Paul D. Russell and his wife Mary; daughter, Claire V. Curry and her husband Clint; grandsons, Anthony Russell and Steele Curry and his wife Kaze; granddaughters, Shelby Curry and Erica Vonderharr and her husband Ben; great grand daughters, Nora Vonderharr and Florence Vonderharr; brother, Thomas D. Russell; sister, Colleen Springle; brother-in-law, Ronald Springle; sisters-in-law, Alice Cash, Pansy Russell Hanson and Kathy Russell and many other relatives close and special friends including William and DeAnn Cash, Clifford and Nancy Cash, Cherry Perez his dedicated caregiver and granddaughter, Wayne Gibbs, Rev. Dr. Gary G. Curry and wife Myrtle, Michelle and Pat Stevenson; Nicholas and Delena Pinder, Laura Hawley and Kelly Zervos and Dr. Mucomba Millar.

Instead of flowers the family request donations be sent to Ranfurly Homes For Children, P.O. Box N. 1413, Nassau or direct deposit RBC, Main Branch, Bay Street, transit # 05625 chequeing account # 2361640 or Cancer Society Of The Bahamas, P.O. Box S.S. 6539, Nassau, CIBC, Shirley Branch, transit # 09706, chequeing account # 52200112.

Funeral arrangements to be announced.

Arrangements by Kemp’s Funeral Home Limited.

Death Notice For

Kevin Jamal Woodside Sr., 45

of Charles Vincent Street, New Providence, Bahamas died at the Princess Margaret Hospital on Thursday, December 12, 2024.

He is survived by his wife: Kemoy Woodside; 3 sons: Kevin Woodside Jr., Jamal Woodside and Izaiah Bullard; 2 daughters: Kierra Woodside, and Keyanna Woodside; father: Harry Woodside; sister: Malisa Woodside; 4 brothers: Keith, Keno, Brandon and Ameron; 1 granddaughter: Kimani Rolle; 1 grandson: D’Andre Colebrooke and host of other relatives and friends.

Funeral arrangements will be announced at a later date.

A special time for Christians

By CARA HUNT Tribune Features Writer cbrennen@tribunemedia.net

CHRISTMAS time is a special time of year for Christians all over the world.

And while may argue that Easter is the most significant event in the church’s calendar as it symbols the resurrection of Jesus, there is just something so sweet about the celebration of the little baby Jesus that fills believers with joy.

“For me, I just never get tired of hearing the Christmas story, I tear up every time and I have been hearing the tale for more than 50 years,” Keisha says.

“It just is so sweet and meaningful, the way the shephards and the angles sang out to him. Poor Mary and Joseph in the stable. It makes me happy to hear about it no matter how many versions I have heard it.”

Teesha says that Christmas carols are her favourite part of the season.

“Nothing beats Joy to the World or being at a midnight mass with the light dimmed and hearing Oh Holy Night that Oh nighttttttt divine, just gets me every single time.”

For Renee, the season takes on special significance since she became a mother.

“Easter is a little hard to get children to understand, because to get to a resurrection, you have to explain a death to them. But everyone understands a birthday party. We also have a birthday cake and sing for baby Jesus. Christmas is all about giving and spending time and sharing love and those are qualities that are easy to explain to kids during the season.”

Anita says that she feels the love in the air during the holidays.

“I love how you just run into a lot of people you

have not seen all year long and you have that opportunity to fellowship. I also love the special Christmas plays and church services, its just a nice time of year. In most cases, I do believe that people are warmer and more loving during the holidays.”

Marion noted that while the holidays can sometimes be sad but the belief that joy comes in the morning is real.

“Christmas can be hard when you are missing someone, but I don’t know sometimes just knowing how much my mom and dad loved the holidays, it gives me the strength to keep celebrating even now that they are gone and I want to follow in their lead and pass the joy of Christmas to my kids.

“It is because Jesus was born and later died that we can have the hope of seeing our loved ones in heaven one day.”

A FORMER leader of the Church of England has resigned as a priest following allegations that he failed to properly handle the case of a priest accused of sexual misconduct.

George Carey, who was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1991 to 2002, quit after a BBC investigation reported that he allowed a priest who had been banned over sexual abuse claims to return to priesthood.

His resignation letter, sent on December 4, said he had been in active ministry since 1962 and is turning 90. The letter did not mention the investigation.

POPE TARGET OF SUICIDE ATTACK BID

POPE Francis reveals in his upcoming autobiography that suicide bombers had planned to attack him during his 2021 visit to Iraq, but were killed before striking. Francis

SHARON LIBERMAN MINTZ, of Sotheby’s, with the oldest complete tablet

Photo: Richard Drew/AP

Bleak Christmas for taxi drivers in GB

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

GRAND Bahama taxi-

cab drivers are not feeling the Christmas spirit this year.

Many are disillusioned and uncertain about the future.

“This is the worst I have seen it,” Duke Rolle said about the current state of the taxi business in Grand Bahama, even while two ships carrying 5,000 passengers were in port on December 17.

While sitting on a bench in the western parking lot at the Port Lucaya Marketplace, Mr Rolle, a veteran cab driver with 25 years of experience, painted a bleak picture.

“The boats are coming in, but only the buses are carrying the people,” he said.

“There’s really nothing happening for us. We stay out here all day, maybe make $20 — that’s about it. I just came from the airport, and the planes ain’t

moving taxis.

“This is the Christmas season, and a lot of Bahamians are travelling, so that’s all the planes are bringing back, and they’re not catching taxis.”

It is “a waste of time” at the harbour too, Mr Rolle said.

“You’ve got one guy driving five cars in front of you, you can’t get a job. It doesn’t make sense to go down there — it’s just a waste of time.”

Mr Rolle lamented the decline of Freeport’s once-vibrant tourism industry.

“Freeport has lost its magic, 100 percent since the Princess Hotel closed, and no one knows how to reopen the Grand Lucayan. That’s a big setback right there,” he said.

The Princess/Royal Oasis Hotel closed in 2004 due to hurricane damage during Frances and Jeanne. In 2016, the Grand Lucayan Resort closed after severe damage during Hurricane Matthew.

The Minnis administration acquired the Lucayan strip property in August 2018 for $65m and signed a Heads of Agreement for its sale to Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and the ITM Group for a $250m investment.

The Davis administration cancelled the deal when it was elected to office in 2021.

The $150m sale negotiated with the Electra American Hospitality Group fell through after the investors failed to secure financing.

Mr Rolle thinks that the

government should sell the hotel in parts –– “one to this person, another to the next, so you’d have three different owners at the same time.”

“Selling the whole strip to one person doesn’t make sense,” he said.

Edwin Kemp Sr, another veteran taxi driver, said the pull-out of Margaritaville at Sea has also impacted the taxi business.

“With Margaritaville gone, it’s hard,” he said, expressing frustration with the lack of foresight in addressing the matter.

“The thing is, why wait until the ship pulls out to say it’s gone? They should have had something in place for Margaritaville when they first found out it wasn’t coming.”

The stalled Grand Lucayan hotel sale is a sore point for him as well.

Despite the challenges, Mr Kemp remains grateful for the little he makes.

“I just hope next year will be better,” he said. “Christmas is just like every other Christmas — you hope and pray something happens.”

For Kenneth Saunders, this Christmas marks his first experience as a taxi driver during the holiday season.

“It’s been up and down,” Mr Saunders said. “We’re just coming out of the slow period that is traditionally around September and October.

“We’re starting to see it pick up a little, though not as much as I was expecting. But I’m hopeful for what next year may bring.”

MURDER SUSPECT BAIL REVOKED

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN awaiting trial for murder had his bail revoked yesterday after failing to check in at his local police station and missing his scheduled court dates.

Senior Justice Cheryl Grant-Thompson informed Cameron Moree that his bail was revoked and that he would be remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.

Before being taken into custody, Moree blamed his attorney, Ian Jupp, for not reminding him of his court

appearances. In response, Justice Grant-Thompson told Mr Jupp that his client had “played fast and loose” with his bail conditions, emphasizing that Moree could not disrespect the rule of law. Mr Jupp was reminded that his client has the right to reapply for bail. Moree’s grandmother, a police reservist who had signed his bail, claimed she took him to his required police check-ins last year until her car broke down. She said she believed he had continued to sign in thereafter. She is scheduled to return to court for a bail forfeiture hearing on Friday.

HOUSEBREAKER JAILED

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was sentenced to two and a half years in prison yesterday after admitting that he was caught breaking into a house last week.

Senior Magistrate Anishka Isaacs arraigned Henricko Martin on housebreaking, damage, and stealing charges.

Martin was reportedly

apprehended on December 11 while forcing entry through the front door of a residence on Eastern Road. After the defendant pleaded guilty, Sergeant 2257 Wilkinson confirmed that Martin had no prior convictions. He was sentenced to two and a half years at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services and was informed of his right to appeal.

Concert for children is all Heart

K’S HEART for Kids non-profit organisation held a free concert and toy giveaway on Saturday, December 14, at St Agnes Anglican Church, Baillou Hill Road.

“This year, we wanted to give our children a taste of fine arts whilst celebrating the Yuletide season. The church was filled with an enthusiastic and engaged audience who thoroughly enjoyed the performances. Words cannot express how truly grateful I am to everyone who has contributed their time, treasure and talent to make this Christmas extremely special. They truly showed up and showed off in GRAND style exhibiting the true meaning of Christmas” said founder

and president Kashannise Hanna.

Approximately 250 toys were distributed to children and several grocery bags to families. The remaining toys were distributed to children who could not attend including those from a children’s home. As a result, it is believed that the recipients will have a merrier, memorable and bright Christmas.

K’s Heart wishes to thank God, St Agnes Anglican Church, Cemex Bahamas, Custom Computers, Wildflowers Bahamas, Beyond The Bell, The Tribune Radio, DJ Godson, Caribbean Bottling Company, D’albenas Agency, Family Guardian, Commonwealth Electrical Contractors Ltd, Kelly’s Home Center, CP

Louis, Cachline Etienne Books, Blue Chip Enterprise, Twisted Delights, Aetos Holding Ltd., Lawren Coakley, Brea Pratt, Big Bruh, Winston Sinclair and Band, Terrel Tinker, Jeremy King, Kevin Williams & Crew, Shara J, Rashad Cunningham, TSU, Shandira Butler, Analise Simon, Danielle Edgecombe, Delecia Finley, Yazmyn Brown, Sara Martin, Zuri Hanna, Zion Hanna, Christian Turnquest, Jordache Martin, Elle, Sasha Martin, Jamal Martin, Glenda Roker, Devonya Campbell, Dante Moss, Varcario Frazer, Vashti Johnson, Kenyon Bowe, Kyra Bain, Dereius Taylor, Samantha Russell, Jada McCardy and other villagers.

Notice Of Sale By Mortgagee

SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCE-Lot 10,800 SQ. FT.

Lot #256

No. 295 Flamingo Gardens Subdivision, New Providence Building 854 Sq. Ft.

Realtor: Sand Solutions Telesha Sands-Pinder 242 -602-726

Listed Price BSD $95,000

250,000 MANGROVES PLANTEDA HOLIDAY GIFT TO THE BAHAMAS

MORE than 250,000 mangroves have been planted jointly by two organisations working to improve the environment of The Bahamas.

The Perry Institute for Marine Science (PIMS), a co-founding member of The Bahamas Mangrove Alliance (BMA), has planted over 157,000 mangroves across the country this year.

Meanwhile, the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust (BTT) — also a BMA co-founder — celebrated its 100,000th mangrove planted this month.

Together, these milestones push the BMA’s total past a quarter-million mangroves.

More than five years ago, Hurricane Dorian unleashed its Category 5 fury on the islands of Abaco and Grand Bahama. The storm didn’t just decimate communities; it obliterated a significant portion of the region’s mangrove forests — the lifeblood of the archipelago’s coastal ecosystem.

PIMS launched research and action plans to guide restoration efforts across The Bahamas. According to PIMS’ Mangrove Report Card for The Bahamas — the first of its kind released for the country last year — approximately 40 percent of mangrove habitats were damaged or destroyed. Mangroves, with their intricate root systems, not only provide a habitat for a myriad of marine species but also act as natural barriers against storm surges and erosion.

“The destruction was unimaginable,” recalls Denise Mizell, PIMS’ Abaco programme manager. “Entire mangrove habitats were wiped out overnight. We knew we had to act fast — not just for the environment, but for our whole community.”

“I experienced Hurricane Dorian first-hand in 2019… at the age of thirteen, to see everything stripped away was shocking,” said Journey Higgs, a PIMS volunteer and one of this year’s Bahamas Environmental Steward Scholars (BESS) programme.

“I have been fortunate to be a part of the restoration efforts of the Perry Institute for Marine Science through the collection and dispersal of mangrove propagules. Not only have I observed the process of collection and the immense amount of

propagules dispersed, as we have reached our 100,000th, but I have seen, over time, the effort and dedication of so many people that have come together and share a

desire to restore our ecosystems that we depend upon for our future.”

For PIMS, teams worked in Andros, Eleuthera, and New Providence, gathering tens of thousands of mangrove propagules.

Local bonefishing guides brought help.

“Guides like Danny Sawyer and Justin Sands were a huge help,” said Ms Mizell. “They know these waters like the back of their hand, so they showed us the best spots to plant, thinking about things like how the tides move and what the seabeds look like.”

Coordinating the collection of propagules in New Providence and managing deliveries from all islands to Abaco was Danielle Cartwright, PIMS’ education coordinator. “Getting every single propagule to where it needed to be was a real challenge,” she said. “But seeing those seedlings planted into the mud and knowing the difference they’ll make—it made

every early morning worth it.”

Mangrove soils and roots act as living carbon vaults, with a single hectare capable of locking away an estimated 1,025 metric tons of carbon — nearly four times that of tropical rainforests. In human terms, that’s enough to neutralize a year’s worth of CO emissions for 228 people.

Mangroves also act as natural barriers against storm surges and erosion, reducing wave energy and thereby protecting coastal communities.

“Mangroves are basically the nurseries of the ocean,” says Ms Mizell. “By restoring them, we’re hoping all sorts of sea life will return. It’s not just about planting trees; it’s about reviving the whole ecosystem and restoring a way of life and livelihoods.”

The restoration also boosts the local economy by rejuvenating fisheries and boosting ecotourism, particularly bonefishing.

“That’s where all the juvenile bonefish, snapper, barracuda, sharks live after their eggs hatch,” said Danny Sawyer, a local Abaco bonefishing guide. “

Years ago, we’d go over the Marls, and bonefish would spawn there — lay their eggs up in the shallows for protection. Mangroves help during hurricanes too; they protect the land and sea. They take CO2 out of the atmosphere. And they help our livelihood — if you’ve got good mangroves, you’ve got good fish. That means more business and more clients coming for excellent fishing opportunities.”

Kai Survance, one of the younger Abaconian bonefishing guides, added:

“For me, healthy mangrove ecosystems means a healthy all-around fishery. They are the starting point for most of the marine life in The Bahamas. Without them, a majority of fish and other sea life wouldn’t have a nursery to grow up in. And for the mature creatures, it keeps them happy because they have places to find food and shelter. Without the mangroves, we wouldn’t have anywhere near the fishery we have today.”

PIMS mangrove specialist Thejon Edgecombe, daughter of PIMS volunteer and Captain Willis Levarity at Baker’s Bay, said: “Planting 100,000 mangrove propagules was so important to me. It gave me a sense of personal achievement and a burning desire to keep contributing positively in marine science.”

“Honestly, the best part has been watching everyone come together,” Ms Mizell said. “It really shows that conservation isn’t just about science — it’s about people.”

With PIMS surpassing 157,000 mangroves, BTT reaching the 100,000 mark, and other partners contributing to a collective total over a quarter-million, the alliance is now determined to plant one million mangroves across the archipelago.

“It’s about science and community coming together,” said Ms Mizell. “Climate change and losing habitats are huge challenges, but we can make a big difference. Every mangrove we plant gets us one step closer to a stronger future for The Bahamas.”

Ms Mizell, whose office is set up at Friends of the Environment (FOE)—a fellow Bahamas Mangrove Alliance (BMA) partner— is grateful for their support as well as The Bahamas National Trust’s unwavering commitment to the cause.

“They’ve been amazing at getting local volunteers involved, sharing resources, and bringing the community together,” Ms Mizell said. “Partnerships like this are what make big restoration projects possible.

“Friends of the Environment is absolutely thrilled to celebrate this incredible milestone in mangrove restoration with our partners! Healthy mangrove habitats benefit every Bahamian, and we’re so proud to be part of the amazing partnership of organizations and communities making this happen,” added Olivia Patterson-Maura, executive director of FOE.

“The Perry Institute’s dedication to mangrove restoration and research has been truly inspiring, and we can’t thank them enough for all their hard work.”

BAHAMIAN boat captain Willis Levarity – locally known as “Captain to the Stars” – holds up a mangrove propagule.

DANIELLE Cartwright prepares mangroves for planting.

DENISE MIZELL

THEJON LEVARITY

SPARE YOUR CHANGE FOR A GOOD CAUSE

A LITTLE can go a long way to help - and this holiday season, the Nassau Airport Development Company (NAD) is partnering with the Bahamas Feeding Network (BFN) to support those in need.

From now through February, guests passing through Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) can help make a difference by contributing spare change or small cash amounts to donation bins placed in the US Departures and International/ Domestic Departures terminals.

Give Change is an ongoing LPIA initiative that encourages guests and residents to donate to worthy causes. The programme is particularly ideal for international guests who may not want to carry back Bahamian currency to their home destination.

All donations collected during the quarter will go

directly to BFN, helping the organisation provide meals to those in need.

“As we approach the holidays, a season known for togetherness and giving, our decision to partner with the Bahamas Feeding Network reflects our commitment to supporting those in the community who are facing hardships,” said Jan Knowles, vice president of marketing and commercial development at NAD.

“Through our Give Change initiative, we’re providing a way for guests, residents and our airport community to share a small act of kindness that can have a big impact. Together, we can help make this season brighter for many Bahamian families, particularly during a time when it is very busy in terminal.”

Nicolette Fountain Archer, executive director of the Bahamas Feeding Network, expressed her

gratitude, saying: “On behalf of the Bahamas Feeding Network, I would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to NAD for allowing us to be the recipients of the donation bins at the airport. Your commitment to aiding those in need in our community is deeply appreciated.

“We also want to thank all of the travelers and residents who will contribute to this initiative. Every dollar counts, and we encourage everyone to consider throwing in a dollar or two during their travels. Together, we can make a significant difference in the lives of those who rely on our services. Hunger hurts, but together we can wipe it out!”

Every contribution, whether it’s spare change or a few dollars, will help the Bahamas Feeding Network continue its vital work of providing meals to individuals and families in The Bahamas.

Bank supports Red Kettle campaign

THE Salvation Army and its long-standing patron, CIBC Caribbean, rang in the sound of hope and generosity during the launch of this year’s Red Kettle Campaign.

The annual tradition, aimed at bringing vital support to those in need, is aiming to raise $150,000 this holiday season to provide assistance to individuals and families across the country.

CIBC Caribbean recently made a $16,000 donation which will in part support the Salvation Army’s Erin H. Gilmour School for the Blind and Visually Impaired.

The bank’s managing director, Dr Jacqui Bend, said, “What makes this campaign special is its genuine impact on communities. As we enter the holiday season — a time filled with joy, gratitude, and togetherness for many — it is essential to remember that this season can bring different challenges for many in our community. Every dollar that goes into a kettle is a gift of hope, helping someone find a meal, a safe place to rest, or simply the support

they need to face a new day.”

Dr Bend also recognised and thanked volunteers for their “labor of love”.

“Volunteers who give their time, warmth, and energy to this campaign, standing by these kettles day in and day out, greeting people with smiles and spreading cheer are the heart and soul of this mission. CIBC Caribbean is proud to also inspire kindness, not just today but every day, in support of The Salvation Army’s lifechanging work.”

Chairman of The Salvation Army’s advisory board, Felix Stubbs, underscored the campaign’s significance.

“Together, we can ensure that no one is left behind and that everyone has the opportunity to experience the joy of the Christmas season. By inspiring hope today, we are building a foundation for a better tomorrow.”

The funds raised are especially used to offer hot food safe shelter. It also helps to provide new Christmas toys, toiletries, and personal care items to those in need across the country.

FROM left. Major Aldene Meo, The Salvation Army divisional director of women’s ministry; Glenda Whylly, CIBC Caribbean senior manager in the managing director’s office; Major Carol Roberts, The Salvation Army assistant secretary of women’s ministry and commanding officer of Nassau Citadel Corps and Dr Jacqui Bend, CIBC Caribbean managing director.

STUDENTS from the Salvation Army’s Erin H. Gilmour School for the Blind and Visually Impaired participated in the launch of this year’s Red Kettle Campaign.

CIBC Caribbean’s managing director, Dr Jacqui Bend, stands at right as a donation is made by the youngest supporter present at the launch of this year’s Red Kettle Campaign.

SENATOR CALLS FOR ACTION AFTER ‘BRAZEN’ VIOLENCE

A SENATOR has called for people to take a stand against violence after a video of a woman being assaulted went viral.

Senator Maxine Seymour responded after the video showed a woman being attacked by a man after she disembarked from a jitneyan attack that left the victim with two broken legs.

Mrs Seymour commended a man who intervened to protect the victim and urged both the public and the government to do more to safeguard women. She said: “It is heartbreaking to see a Bahamian sister being attacked so brazenly on the roadside. What is even more troubling is that someone chose to record the incident instead of stepping in to help. We must do better as a society.

Violence in public spaces is not a private matter, it is a call to action.”

Seymour praised the man who intervened, saying: “This man made a choice to protect her, and we all have a choice to make when we witness harm. His actions remind us that we can all be part of the solution and step up when it matters most instead of being videographers or

Tributes paid to Peanuts Taylor

THE prime minister has paid tribute to “Peanuts” Taylor, saying he is “deeply saddened” by the news of his death.

Mr Davis said: “The Bahamas has lost one of its finest sons.”

John Berkely Taylor, known better as Peanuts, was born on June 20, 1935. He became a legendary entertainer in The Bahamas, and his fame went beyond our shores, appearing on the Johnny Carson Show and opening for Nat King Cole.

He is famed locally for being a club owner - with his Drumbeat Club a highlight of Bahamian nightlife.

Mr Davis said “Peanuts was more than entertainer; he was our cultural treasure”.

He added: “From his humble beginnings on Shirley Street to the bright lights of global stages, his journey was a testament to resilience, talent, and an unrelenting love for his craft. He showed the world what it meant to be Bahamian - proud, passionate, and deeply connected to our roots.”

Mr Davis recalled seeing Peanuts perform, sayiing: “I remember watching Peanuts perform, feeling the electrifying energy of his drums, and marveling at how he could connect with every person in the room as though he was playing just for them. Whether he was captivating audiences at the Drumbeat Club or representing The Bahamas on international stages, Peanuts carried our culture with pride and distinction.

“His contributions extended far beyond his music. He nurtured and inspired countless young Bahamians, showing them

that with determination and heart, they too could achieve greatness.

“His legacy is reflected tightly into the fabric of our nation’s identity, and his rhythm will echo in our hearts for generations to come.”

The Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture also issued a statement, saying: “It has been said that John ‘Peanuts’ Taylor got his nickname ‘little peanut’ from Paul Meeres after he at the age of four, confidently told this club owner and businessman, ‘I can sing and dance better than you’.”

The statement added: “Peanut’s unique style of drumming opened doors and gave him many opportunities to play on stages all over the world. Before being introduced to the congo drums, his beloved instrument was the goombay drums. He owned clubs like Tropicana, Goombay, and the world-famous Drumbeat Club where he could be found surrounded by drums of all shapes and sizes. He appeared on Television shows like The Steve Allen Show, The Jack Parr Show, The Ed Sullivan Show and The Johnny Carson Show when it was not popular for people of colour to be featured.”

In 1993, at the age of 58, Mr Taylor was awarded an MBE by Queen Elizabeth II. He was decorated with The Bahamas National Tourism Achievement Award. In 1995, he was awarded the Cacique Award; in 1996, a Legend Award, and in 1998 Merit of Honour Award.

The statement added:

“The country mourns the loss of this musical icon.

The Hon Mario Bowleg,

passive observers. “As a nation, we must reject violence and work together to protect our women and children. We must find the courage to act — not just in moments of crisis, but every day.”

Addressing the broader issue of domestic violence, Seymour noted that what happens publicly often mirrors the unseen struggles of many women behind closed

doors. She said: “If this level of violence can happen in public, on a main thoroughfare, imagine the abuse women endure privately. Too many women live in fear every day, often trapped with nowhere to turn.”

Seymour renewed her call for the government to prioritise women’s protection, specifically urging

action on promises to establish a shelter for abused women.

“The Davis administration pledged to create a shelter for battered women, but where is it?” she asked.

“They need to put down the eggnog, and set aside the ham and turkey, because the time for real solutions is now. Women cannot afford to wait any longer for the promised shelter.”

the Minister of Youth Sports and Culture, and the Division of Culture extends heartfelt condolences to the Entertainment and Cultural community on the passing of this small but giant of a man.”

PEANUTS Taylor in 1975, at the opening of the Drumbeat Club at Nassau Beach Hotel.

Celebration at tree lighting ceremony in Freeport

A TREE lighting ceremony was held at the Urban Renewal Park in Grand Bahama on Friday - as the minister for the island assured that there would be a transformation of the area in coming months.

Minister for Grand Bahama Ginger Moxey said: “Our administration has been busy trying to ensure that we’re able to provide opportunities for communities – urban communities like the Garden Villas Community.”

To achieve this, she said, ten to 12 existing buildings in the Garden Villas area will be demolished and replaced with sustainable development homes. On the corner, the green buildings will be replaced with the Pineridge Community Resilience Centre.

“So again, we are doing a lot in this area to ensure that we provide a safe environment so that our people can be able to thrive.

“It is much needed, and we are grateful for all that God is allowing for us to do for this community and communities beyond.”

She said: “We’ve been through a lot on Grand Bahama Island. We’ve been through hurricane after hurricane and Hurricane Dorian really devastated many communities, we lost

loved ones and so we are in the recovery stage, we are rebuilding, but we believe we are going to be able to revolutionise because of all of the things that the Davis/ Cooper administration has been able to accomplish.

“Again, we are grateful to God for everything he has allowed us to do, grateful for the community who has been working with us –hand in hand, being patient on some things that needs to be done, we are working on that as well. We are grateful for the Urban Renewal team because they have been out in the community ensuring that the needs of the communities are addressed. And we are grateful to the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture [which] continues to put on events that ensures that our culture is appreciated and that we do all that we can to support our artisans, our cultural enthusiasts, our Junkanooers and the like.” Ms Moxey added: “I am excited that this is the first time we are experiencing this renovated, revitalised community park. But the reason we are here is to spread love, joy and comradery in this community.”

The Pineridge Urban Renewal Band performed during the ceremony.

Photos: Andrew Miller/BIS

Kyrie and Jazz make a difference

THE Jazz Chisholm Foundation in partnership with Kyrie Campbell and the JCF Little League annual food can drive took place from November 22 to December 8.

The goal was to unite players, parents, coaches, and fans in an effort to give back to the community and spread the joy of the season with items to be distributed by Bahamas Feeding Newtork. Non-perishable food items were brought to Banker’s Field / Baillou Hill Sporting Complex on game days which help to make a difference for families in our community.

KYRIE CAMPBELL, sixth grader at Queen’s College along with his dad, Carl, and Nicolette Archer, executive director of the Bahamas Feeding Network.

KYRIE CAMPBELL

Te copyright battle

EDITOR, The Tribune.

“I AM a boatman, a seaman; my work is on the water. Free diving and throwing out line is how I survive.”

These lyrics resonate deeply with many Bahamians and symbolise the national spirit, a bond with our crystal-clear blue waters, and a deep-rooted pride in local culture from a song composed, written, and sung by the renowned Bahamian recording artist Kirkland “KB” Bodie. You can hardly hear “Boatman” without swaying, singing, or dancing. Like many other Bahamian artists, KB’s music shapes and influences our values and cultural identity beyond mere entertainment. The cultural significance of this music highlights the necessity to protect such artistic expressions with strong legal safeguards.

Arguably, the recent repeal and replacement of the 2000 Copyright Act with the Copyright Act 2024 is a progressive attempt by the Bahamian government to modernise intellectual property (IP) protection. The new Act strengthens enforcement mechanisms, aligns with international standards, and protects the rights of artists and cultural industries.

On August 11, 2024, in a Facebook post, KB expressed his “deep sense of both concern and hope”

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net

about the significant amendment to the Copyright Act and the ever-rampant use and infringement of IP rights of his music and creation. KB believes the amendments demonstrate our country’s core acknowledgement of the contribution of Bahamian artists to our culture, reassuring him of the government’s appreciation for the contributions of artists like him to the music industry. According to the World Intellectual Property Organization, copyright is “the rights that creators have over their literary and artistic works...” Under copyright protection, artists enjoy exclusive moral and economic rights. Moral rights ensure that artists are credited for their work (right to attribution) and protect their work from changes that could harm their honour or reputation (right of integrity). Economic rights, however, allow artists to reproduce, broadcast, perform, sell, or modify their work. These moral and economic rights are essential to protecting artists’ rights from unauthorised use and ensuring they receive fair compensation, as illustrated in the landmark case of Williams et al v Gaye. The demand for robust IP

protections in music extends beyond The Bahamas. In Williams v Gay, the Court determined that Pharrell Williams, Robin Thicke, and TI’s “Blurred Lines” infringed on Marvin Gaye’s 1976 classic “Got to Give It Up” due to substantial similarity. Gaye registered his work with the US Copyright Office in 1977 and passed his musical rights to his heirs after he died in 1984. Following the 2013 release of “Blurred Lines,” Gaye’s heirs accused the artists of copyright infringement and demanded royalties. When negotiations failed, the Court ruled in favour of Gaye’s estate, holding that “Blurred Lines” infringed upon Mavin Gaye’s IP rights. The principles distilled in Williams v Gaye underscore KB’s position that no one has the right to perform one’s music without explicit permission.

There has been a prominent long-standing trend among Bahamian artists to register their IP in jurisdictions outside The Bahamas.

In a November 21, 2023, article, Tribune Business Editor Neil Hartnell quoted the Attorney General, Sen Ryan Pinder, KC, who, while addressing an IP consultation with representatives from the cultural and agri-business industries, posited that “successive administrations have failed to ensure

creative money-making ideas were given the necessary protection to prevent them from being pirated, stolen or copied.”

Mr Hartnell quoted the Attorney General describing the previous IP legislation as “clunky, slow and inefficient.”

A Cabinet paper titled A Plan to Expand Intellectual Property Protection in The Bahamas noted that during the COVID-19 pandemic, Bahamian artists favoured registering their music abroad due to our outdated and inadequate IP legislation.

The paper further propounds that The Bahamas’ “relatively weaker [IP] framework” and “lack of modernisation”, which failed to comply with treaties and trends fully, motivated artists to pursue international IP protection. The paper noted that from 2018 to 2022, Bahamian artists filed 109 copyright applications abroad, compared to 50 copyright applications filed locally. Further, revenues from copyright were estimated at $1,324.00 in 2012-2013, decreasing to $726.00 in 2021-2022. The paper posits that “[t]he low level of domestic copyright applications is in stark contrast to the more than 110 musicians, performers, playwrights and registered parties who produce copyrightable material.”

In a follow-up interview,

I asked KB about his post, where he clarified his stance, stating, “There was never any intention in my [post’s] message to deny any performance artist or band from singing my material... The message was to not infringe on my copyright by not compensating me. The promoter gets paid by patrons... the band is paid for performing... but the [creator] or the writer of the music... is not compensated. That is wrong.” Citing a recent success at the Best of the Best Rake-N-Scrape Explosion Reloaded Concert, KB applauded promoters who followed proper protocol, securing permissions through the Performance Rights Society and ensuring royalties for songwriters. KB’s appeal urges artists and organisers of festivals, concerts, and events to ensure creators deserve rightful recognition and compensation.

Section 9 of the 2000 Act provided KB with exclusive rights to his work, protecting it from reproduction, distribution, performance, or broadcasting without his permission. The 2024 Copyright Act, by contrast, enhances KB’s ability to manage and enforce his copyright, particularly against unauthorised use. Section 46 of the 2024 Copyright Act establishes necessary protection measures to prevent unauthorised access and copying of digital music. It also stops people

from using tools to bypass these protections or hacking into platforms like Apple Music or Spotify to access and download content illegally. The new legislation also established an Intellectual Property Office and will appoint a Registrar to oversee it. This office will provide public access to the copyright register for searching and verifying copyright information, assist in enforcing copyright laws, and ensure that records of all registered works, including changes in ownership or licencing agreements, are accurate and current.

This writer’s overarching submission is that the Copyright Act 2024 represents a significant commitment to strengthening the rights of Bahamian creators and aligning our IP framework with international standards. The reforms in The Bahamas’ copyright laws provide a necessary safeguard for artists, securing their rights in a way that respects both their contributions and the power of music to unify and uplift. So, the next time you are at an event and become spellbound by one of KB’s songs sung or performed by another artist or band, ask yourself: Did they receive KB’s permission? Was he paid for his copyright work?

KEVIN FARRINGTON New Providence December 17, 2024.

Rat trap over smuggling ring claims

EDITOR, The Tribune.

IT WAS once said to me that to free myself from scrutiny I should always state my biases out front. Well in that case, let me state publicly that my name is Leyvon Miller and presently I have a job which was given to me by this Progressive Liberal Party administration. While I am making declarations, let me also add: Yes, I do see why some people may assume that singular fact may have compromised my position on many national issues. Due to that assertion I wish to say that I only love this job as much as the average Bahamian man loves his wife, but certainly not as much as they love their sweethearts and I invite my detractors to do with that information what they wish. Now on to the matters at hand. I am confused after watching the news cycle these past weeks, because it seems like everything is in a tail spin. What I cannot understand, is how did America’s setting of a ‘rat trap’ cause all of the roaches to come out and hopefully, I can capture them all in one swoop, by offering some reasonable consideration to the dialogue. Firstly, I disagreed with the Commissioner’s decision to do a national address, for the reasons we all saw. It was a poorly advised, disastrously executed undertaking and, in my opinion several heads should roll for that faux pas. He is a commander and ought to have allowed those interested in marketing, to sweep up the

confusion, while he busied himself, handing Michael over to the DPP’s purview; subsequently cleansing himself of all unrighteousness in that matter. That should have been followed by a press release, advising that the Americans made an arrest outside of his jurisdiction and confirming whether any of his agency’s assets were involved. Once the statement was issued, his press officer should have been directed to inform the public that the Commissioner had no intention of getting in the affairs of another sovereign jurisdiction, while giving assurances that all logistics required, would be facilitated; then communicate in the news, that the Commissioner intends to allow justice to take its course and as such his public utterances would be minimal but that the public could be confident that he was doubling his efforts in strategising and deploying his assets in this war against crime.

Regrettably, none of this happened. Instead, the Commissioner opted to resign; a move that similarly, I disagreed with as so many pieces remain missing from this “little indictment imbroglio” that has everyone’s knickers twisted.

If my understanding is correct, these men were named for conspiracy to import cocaine, possession and use of a firearm and firearms conspiracy. Since then, a Sergeant was fired, a request for the discharge of a Chief Superintendent was made and the RBDF

has discharged a Force Chief Petty Officer, albeit of the umpteen times I heard this story on all of the news stations claiming to be major, Darrin Roker was referred to as a Chief Petty Officer; as he was named in the US indictment; a fact that itself makes this whole operation appear like one big circus show. I am of the view that if anyone understands the particular need to get names correct in an allegation of this magnitude, it should be the Americans and certainly, if there is anyone that should ensure that ranks and titles are correctly stated, particularly in an indictment that would have career ending implications, it should be the Americans or maybe that too is a fallacy, just as the impenetrable nature of Capital Hill once was in my mind.

Dear Editor, according to my information, a Chief Petty Officer Roker does exist, but it is not any of the persons that appeared in the mug shots that I have seen; which makes me question how much of this charade is worthy of executive attention. Despite this revelation, this Looney Toon opposition called for the resignation of the Commissioner and this government, gullibly took the bait. However, none of them has answered the one question that would make some sense in my view.

“Where is the coke!” Has anyone answered that question yet? Has anyone seen the coke? Do the Americans even know where the coke is? Is there even any real coke in this story and if so, when will it appear? At

present, it has been approximately three weeks since these men were arrested, they have also since been charged and all of the serving members in either Bahamian law enforcement agency, have been terminated from service; yet not even a teaspoon of coke has manifested. Do the Americans not have an obligation to produce on their claim? Or has this bogus rat trap, caused all of the roaches to come out and now the Americans get to sit and watch as the negroes cannibalise each other? After all, some very prominent federally employed Americans have suggested publicly that countries like ours are all “shit hole countries,” filled with very bad people that have been responsible for transporting drugs into the very pure American society. Dear editor, I assume that both our sovereignty and democracy must be ornamental in their view and they can toy with them at will. I hope the opposition realises soon, why it was premature to call for the Commissioner’s resignation, without a scintilla of evidence being heard in a court. I hope the opposition understands, why they are referred to as His Majesty’s Loyal Opposition and that resignations of this magnitude do not go unnoticed by the world, nor investors and affect all public officers and their public image. There are some things that should simply be off limits to politics and the office of the Commissioner of Police is such a thing. Hopefully,

the opposition soon understands that there is a very thin line between love and hate, sanity and insanity and an even thinner line between hysteria and history making. What I witnessed on December 4th, 2024; the same day the Prime Minister came to inform the parliament of the COP’s resignation and simultaneous name offering of the perspective COP to the opposition leader, was an already hot and bothered Shannandon Cartwright allowing himself to be emotionally fondled by Adrian White, which led to him throwing the mace from the parliament. To date, I still cannot clearly discern the reason nor can I draw any correlation between that day and 1965. I also cannot say that this was provoked by Madam Speaker and to state it plainly, it seemed like a premeditated act of classist dissention as there is no uncertainty nationwide, that Cartwright nor his leader see the Honourable Madam as worthy to preside. Admittedly, since witnessing it, all I kept thinking was, only he who de-virginises, is a de-virginiser; because there is no trophy for being the second man to have done it. The entire thing was tragic and I trust that I am not alone when I say, we are pulling the trigger too quickly on some of these decisions. I fear, in their effort to do good, the Office of the Prime Minister will possibly preside over the largest legal mishandling ever witnessed; which will massively affect the governments purse to pay for the image and reputation of

these men.

Sadly, at times The Prime Minister’s communications team reminds me of a teenage boy’s zeal to mate and I hope they soon learn that not everything is worthy of a chase. Dear Editor, I guess the presumption of innocence is a farce once the Americans question it and I guess sovereignty only matters when you’re not in opposition. I hope at some point we know for sure whether the Americans were looking for a Chief Petty Officer or a Force Chief Petty Officer, because there was once a huge difference. More importantly, I hope the Commander Defence Force quits replying about corruption as there is no suggestion that his assets are involved, therefore, there is nothing to address. Hopefully, some coke appears in this story soon, but until then, I guess I shall go on smiling as my biggity enduring friend continues to refer to us in public as drug dealers. Gentlemen, have some dignity and go back in hiding. This wasn’t a righteousness bomb, it was merely a rat trap and now the neighbours all know about our roaches. God forbid! Nonetheless, Madam Commissioner will soon assume the helm amidst this kerfuffle and whenever that happens, I intend to pledge my full support to her in the protection of His Majesty’s Good Peace. Forever In Allegiance.

LEYVON MILLER, JP Nassau, December 17, 2024.

Women and their role in politics

EDITOR, The Tribune.

THE House of Assembly is the lower chamber. It has 39 members. They are known as Members of Parliament. Each is elected for five-year terms. The House of Assembly performs all major legislative functions. The Prime Minister is the leader of the party who has the majority of the House of Assembly seats. The speaker of the House is appointed by the Prime Minister, who today is Ms Patricia Deveaux.

In 2021, there were collectively 71 women who offered themselves as candidates in the then general election. This speaks volumes to the amount of women who considered themselves qualified to sit at the table, to add value to the parliamentary system in our country. Together with our men counterparts, to bring a ladies prospective, contributing to the decision

making of our country. Fortunately a group of women won their seats and were very proud to be known as Members of Parliament. We the other women who unfortunately did not win our seats felt proud that at least we had five young women who won and alongside one who has stood the test of times, regaining her seat - Mrs Glennys Hanna Martin. A stellar lady who has regarded the House of Assembly and the sanctity of the rule of law and respects the honorable house as a place to show decorum, class and etiquette. There were and are many times she has had to put men in their place and have them not take advantage of her. Many ladies who have represented their constituencies in the past, The Honorable Italia Rome Johnson, former speaker, would not have to stooped to levels seen today to restore order to the HOA.

The honorable Janet Bostwick, Juanane Dorsett, the late Theresa Moxey Ingraham and many other ladies, respectfully were challenged by men and they mannerly spoke to the men and the men knew exactly were they were coming from. It is obvious in the training for the ladies (women) who ultimately won their seats the lessons that were taught were not well received or there were no lessons provided for the Speaker of the House of Assembly. Anyone looking to be nominated to be a member of parliament knows parliament is about debates. Debates to provide constructive information as to why one’s point is stronger than the other. Debates are thoughtful, respectful and have conclusive results. In 2024, a woman holding such a position should be well refined, dignified and approachable. Nor am I the only lady feeling totally out ranged by the actions of

the speaker of the house. It has become a “fish market” as to who can out shout the speaker and to ensure that no one out shouts her, the body language, the “jerking and twerking” the finger pointing, ratchet behavior is horrible, to show who’s the boss is deplorable and totally disgusting for a woman trying to get her point across. It is totally pathetic! It has become a house lack of decorum, respect and honor. It is quite understandable, lessons which were learnt and displayed, were not meant for one who sits in one of the highest office in the country. There are times when debates can become heated and extremely hot, however at these times one should know how to take control of the house, even I know if it gets too hot, stand up, take control of the house and take a five minute break then come back. It is

not the time to rollie, pollie in the chair and try to out shout the men down. Can you image living under her roof - my God - speaks to this. It is better not be in a house with an argumentative woman! It is like water dripping water. “Respect is earned - not demanded” The actions of the speaker, a woman who holds one of the highest positions in the country, shows young woman how to demeanor themselves to a become a “jungerlist” in a suit and robe on levels to low to count. As a mother of one daughter and one grand daughter first, secondly a lady perspective candidate is grievous my heart to see the disrespect brought to the honorable house of assembly in 2024. My sister, I do defend you as a woman but not as a lady; where is your respect for yourself. Don’t you know men can carry on like drunken

brawlers and they will always say men will be men. When we as women/ladies are in public we are held to a higher standard. What are we teaching our young girls and ladies. Who are you representing, who! This is what you are teaching your daughters. My sister you have the authority to stand on your feet and bring the house to an ultimate stop! and you carry on like this. Realise, men can be taught, but if you are going too go word for word, you are not ready, please take my simple advise for the next few months you have left, take a few classes and resume in a better light. Remember, one thing you have the ultimate authority/power in the House of assembly - “Please Stand And Break For Five Minutes And Breathe In And Out!”

CARON SHEPHERD Nassau, December 17, 2024.

THE SOUND OF CHRISTMAS

GOVERNOR General Dame Cynthia Pratt enjoyed a night of music during her attendance at the annual Christmas concert of the Bahamas National Youth Choir on Tuesday, December 17, at Trinity Methodist Church, Trinity Place.

Photos: Patrick Hanna/BIS

Golfers take a swing at helping BAARK!

BAARK! (Bahamas Alliance for Animal Rights and Kindness) hosted its fourth annual golf tournament at the stunning Royal Blue Golf Course at Baha Mar on Sunday, December 1, raising funds to support its spay and neuter programmes across The Bahamas.

With clear skies and ideal conditions, golfers enjoyed a day of camaraderie and spirited competition on one of The Bahamas’ most prestigious courses. Congratulations go to the net winners, Dwayne Whylly Senior and Dwayne Whylly Junior.

The event’s success was made possible thanks to support of platinum sponsors Morley Realty, Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), Aliv, and Aetos Holdings Limited, which includes

Wendy’s, Marco’s Pizza, and Popeyes.

“We are incredibly grateful to everyone who participated, donated, and sponsored this event,” said Laura Kimble-Morley, president of BAARK. “The funds raised will directly contribute to reducing stray animal populations and improving animal welfare through our spay and neuter initiatives.”

Since its founding, BAARK has spayed and neutered over 33,000 dogs and cats.

The funds raised from this tournament will enable BAARK to continue its outreach efforts and educational programmes.

BAARK also thanked the following sponsors: Coca-Cola, Caribbean Wines & Spirits, Aqualina Cable Beach, Odyssey Aviation, Purina, Super Value, Magellan Financial, Bahamas Waste,

Insurance Management, Capital Union Bank, J.S .Johnson, Tito’s, Sands, Graham Real Estate, Easy Car Sales, Damianos Sotheby’s International Realty, Happy Pets Animal Hospital, HGC Christie’s International Real Estate, Young’s Fine Wine, Rhizophora Spa, Jane Iredale, Windermere Corporate Management Ltd., Corner Bank, John Watling’s, Marlin Marine, Enthusiast Hotel (Abaco Inn and A Stone’s Throw Away), Oasis Fresh, JSK Professional Dog Training, Social House, Freak Show, Zipline Express, Pink Sand Spirits, Caves Village Veterinary Hospital, King & Co., Shoreline Distributors, Panama Jack, Donald and Geoffrey Tomlinson, and The Agency Bahamas Yacht Management. For more information about BAARK, visit BaarkBahamas.com.