By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net
THE Shell Saxon Superstars triumphed at Junkanoo for the third consecutive parade, dominating the 2024 Boxing Day Parade. The Saxons took home top honours in multiple categories, including Best Step Down, Best Off-the-Shoulder, Best Lead Costume, Best Performance, Best Shirley Street Performance, Best Banner, Best Music, and the Overall Score of 92.06. Excitement was in the air as crowds gathered along Bay Street. For months, the various groups had been meticulously planning their costumes, choreographing their dances, and perfecting their musical arrangements, all hoping to emerge victorious.
SEE PAGE THREE
Photo: Chappell Whyms Jr
VOICE NOTE PROBE FINDINGS SUBMITTED TO DPP LAST WEEK
By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune News Editor rrolle@tribunemedia.net
OUTGOING Commis-
sioner of Police Clayton Fernander said the chief investigator in a controversial voice notes probe submitted findings to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions last week and is awaiting the DPP’s review and
recommendation. Commissioner Fernander, who promised to report to the public on the matter before the end of the year, said authorities are still on track to meet this timeline. The investigation surrounds voice notes that purported to capture a quid-pro-quo arrangement
By KEILE CAMPBELL Tribune Staff Reporter kcampbell@tribunemedia.net
ASSISTANT Commissioner of Police (ACP) Shanta Knowles expressed her excitement and confidence as she prepares to become the first female Commissioner of Police, revealing she will be sworn in on January 3.
“It’s an exciting opportunity for female officers,” she told reporters on the sidelines of the Boxing Day Junkanoo parade. “I’m glad that I’ve been the first to ascend to this position, and I’m certain that the support from the female officers in our organisation will be behind me. Of course, all officers will be behind me.”
SEE PAGE FIVE
Cool off with New Frozen Fanta® Blue Raspberry
DIVISION B winners Fancy Dancers.
Photo: Marvin Thompson
DIVISION A winners Shell Saxon Superstars.
Photos: Nikia Charlton
Saxons win three straight
from page one
As the first notes of the goatskin drums and cowbells echoed through the city, the parade burst into life. Group after group, they took to the streets, their vibrant costumes and pulsing rhythms captivating the audience, but one group stood out from the rest –the Shell Saxons Superstars.
Under the theme, “Masquerade of Nations: The Mystique Behind the Mask”, their costumes were a dazzling array of hues, each outfit a work of art. The music, a seamless blend of traditional church hymns and modern influences, drove the crowd into a frenzy.
As the Saxons moved through the parade route, their energy and precision were unmatched, with the entire Bay Street standing on its feet and moving in unison. When the final notes had faded, the crowd erupted in thunderous applause, chanting “It over”.
Roots, with their theme Welcome to Jamaica, finished second with an unofficial score of 88.70, also winning Best Free Dance, Best Choreography, and Best Banner.
The World Famous Valley Boys placed third, followed by One Family in fourth, Genesis in fifth, Music Makers in sixth, and the Prodigal Sons in seventh.
In the B Division, the Fancy Dancers clinched the title with a score of 80.57, narrowly beating Colours, who placed second with 80.45. The Immortals secured third place with 71.70, while Conquerors for Christ, Dynasty, Mighty Eagles, New Vikings, and Z Bandits rounded out the rest of the rankings.
In the Best Performance category for the B Division, Colours took first place, followed by Fancy Dancers and Dynasty in second and third, respectively.
The Fancy Dancers won Best Music and Best Shirley Street Performance. Colours finished second in both categories, while Immortals placed third in Best Music and Dynasty took third in Shirley Street Performance. In Best Music for B Division, Fancy Dancers emerged victorious, with Colours in second, and Immortals in third. In the B Division Shirley Street Performance category, Fancy Dancers led the pack with a score of 77.64, while Colours scored 76.64 and Immortals scored 66.30.
A significant change this year was the earlier 9pm start time for the Boxing Day Parade, aimed at improving the parade flow and reducing its traditionally late finish.
Adrian Laroda, deputy chairman of the Junkanoo Corporation of New Providence, reflected positively on the new start time. “The nine o’clock start was a very good start,” he said during a press conference.
“We didn’t see as many patrons in the stands early on because of the nine o’clock start and it being Christmas Day. But as the night wore on, when you talk about 10/11pm, the stands were full.
“In the past, when the parade started at a later time, the traditional end time would have been 2pm, sometimes 4pm, but there are a number of things that have been happening. If you notice now, we were able to turn around the scores in record time, that helps, rather than having to wait four hours to get scores.”
Photos: Chappell Whyms Jr
‘Conch in the Classroom’ rolled out in GB schools
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
ENVIRONMENTAL
advocate Gail Woon has introduced an innovative programme, “Conch in the Classroom to educate Bahamian students about the queen conch’s life cycle and the importance of preserving this native marine species.
The curriculum was rolled out in five primary schools in Grand Bahama this year, with plans to expand to ten schools by 2025.
Ms Woon, founder of Earthcare, said lessons and hands-on learning are conducted in classrooms, where aquariums are set up for observation. Each school was provided with two one-year-old queen conchs to care for during the term.
A group of 30 students, aged six to 12, participate in four lessons –– one per week –– covering topics such as aquarium installation, the conch shell, the conch life cycle, and conch fisheries.
The programme has been a resounding success among educators and students.
Participating government schools this year included West End Primary, Holmes Rock Primary, Martin Town Primary, Freeport Primary, and Maurice Moore Primary. According to Ms Woon, Earthcare received a grant through Florida Atlantic University/Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, funded by the McPikeZima Foundation.
“We have been given the task to implement the grant, and the aquariums were shipped to us. We set them up in the five schools and worked with one teacher per school,” she said.
“The Pike-Zima Foundation, which gave us the grant, was so happy with the results they are going to give us a bigger grant next year so we can do ten schools.
“We will continue with the schools that are already in the programme, just with a different set of students, and then add another five government schools that we were not able to do this year.”
Ms Woon said the third lesson in the series –– a game called BING –– is a favourite among the
students. She explained that it resembles bingo, but instead of numbers and letters, it uses pictures of the various stages in the conch’s life cycle.
“They get conch tattoos or conch stickers. They love it, and the teachers say they are eager for another conch lesson,” she recalled.
The Conch in the Classroom curriculum was developed by Dr Megan Davis, the principal investigator at Florida Atlantic University (FAU), Ms Woon (Earthcare) and Becky Holt (FAU) are the co-principal investigators, and Amanda Matthews (FAU) is the education coordinator.
“We have given them a book of everything covered, including the games and puzzles, so each school gets its own conch curriculum,” Ms Woon said.
“It’s been quite a learning experience, not only for the students. We need to do this for adults too because many of the teachers were not aware of some of the things we were teaching. Some teachers asked how many times a conch changes its shell, but conchs don’t change their shells,” she explained.
Ms Woon said the curriculum is crucial as it teaches students when conchs should be harvested to prevent overfishing.
“We need to be fishing them when the lip is 15mm thick and not less than that because if we do, we are going to fish our conch fishery to commercial extinction,” she warned.
Ms Woon noted that The Bahamas is the only country in the Caribbean with a commercially viable conch fishery.
“All the other countries in the Caribbean have fished them to extinction,” she said.
Earthcare is also actively contributing to mangrove restoration efforts in Grand Bahama.
To date, the organisation has planted approximately 7,000 mangrove seedlings cultivated in its backyard nurseries.
Ms Woon said their third out planting for the year was completed at Water Cay on November 23.
“We were able to plant 1,500 red mangrove seedlings, bringing the total planted so far to 7,000 in the Water Cay area, which was displaced by Dorian,” she said.
Ms Woon noted that
three of the Earthcare
Kids were from Water
and initially brought the area’s condition to their attention.
“They told us that it needed restoration, so we started planting in Water Cay and reached out to Central Grand Bahama MP Iram Lewis, who is a native of Water Cay and joined the restoration efforts,” she said.
“We are seeing progress. The mangroves planted earlier all look good, growing nice and green, and we are really happy with the results so far,” Ms Woon said.
Crisis Centre hotline sees increase in calls over last year
By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
BAHAMAS Crisis Centre hotline has experienced an increase in calls compared to last year, particularly concerning suicidal ideation.
Dr Sandra Dean-Patterson, the centre’s director, said the majority of calls will be persons who are experiencing violence in the home, or they know if somebody’s being abused or under a lot of stress or maybe having suicidal thoughts.
“There’s a greater awareness of the stress and the suicidal attempts, the reports of suicide in the media. I think it’s a greater consciousness and awareness of it. So I do think people maybe calling more as a result of that. At the same time, there’s an increase in stress in the country.”
She estimates the calls
are predominantly women, but men calling as well.
During the holiday season, it is typically for increase stress level due more financial burden and family dynamics. Dr Dean-Patterson said the centre has not experienced increased calls during the holidays in previous years.
“I don’t know what this year is going to be like, but you know, many times persons are distracted by the celebration and the Junkanoo and those kinds of things, but after Christmas is probably going to be likely to see more calls, especially people who overspend and overdue during the holiday.”
Police report an alleged suicide attempt of 25-yearold woman on Sunday. Initial reports indicate that shortly after 7.00 p.m. female allegedly ingested a chemical liquid while at a home on Winds Lane.
Fifteen women between 18 and 30 attempted suicide last year; 13 women between 31 and 45 did so. The others were younger than 18.
Twelve men between 18 and 30 attempted suicide; 10 between 31 and 45 did so, and seven between 46 and 60 tried to take their life.
Police statistics released in April suicides decreased by 25 per cent in 2023 compared to 2022, attempted suicides increased by a remarkable 86 per cent. Six people completed suicide in 2023. Eight did so in 2022. Five of last year’s suicide victims were men. Eighty people attempted suicide last year versus 43 in 2022. Last year, more women attempted suicide than men: 45 versus 35. Known as the gender paradox, research has shown that while women have higher rates of suicide behaviour than men, mortality from suicide attempts is higher among men than women.
Eco-
Cay
HAPPY EARTHCARE Volunteers after planting 1,500 mangrove seedlings for the Earthcare Water Cay Restoration Project.
HOLMES Rock Primary Conch in the Classrom students get hands on experience with the Queen Conch.
CONCH in the Classroom at Maurice Moore Primary, students measure the lip of the conch to see if it is 15 mm thick and ready to harvest or not.
EARTHCARE Eco Kid Symone Martin has ties to Water Cay and comes with her parents to every planting.
Voice note probe findings submitted to DPP last week
involving a senior police officer, a lawyer and two murdered men, Michael Fox Jr and Dino Smith.
The conversation on the voice notes centred around a $1.5m airport bank car heist in November 2023. Fox Jr and Smith were suspects in that matter but were never charged. Two other men, Oral Roberts, 34, and Akeil Holmes, 26, were charged in connection with the robbery. Roberts was killed in the Fox Hill area last month.
Michael Johnson, the head of the Central Investigations Department, took garden leave as authorities investigated.
Commissioner Fernander has said the Security and Intelligence Branch of the police force is investigating the matter. He said the Police Complaints Inspectorate, a little-known body that has traditionally lacked
the resources to perform its duties, would supervise the SIB’s investigation. He later revealed that the United Kingdom National Crime Agency and the FBI would
help with the investigation.
Michael Fox Sr, the father of Fox Jr, told The Tribune over the summer that his son gave him the voice notes and told him
to release the recordings if he died. He said he was not behind the release of the tapes. Sandra Smith, the mother of Dion Smith, said her son also informed her about the voice notes and their significance, but she never got them.
The matter has gripped the public’s attention partly because of other events that have occurred involving people connected to the voice notes. Days after Sylvens Metayer, a man living in the US who considers himself a whistleblower, seemingly released the voice notes, he was shot during a Facebook Live and survived the incident.
Roberts, meanwhile, was killed a week after meeting officers probing the matter, according to his mother.
Commissioner Fernander provided no further details but said investigators “had completed a number of lines of inquiries” and are happy with their investigation.
from page one
ACP Knowles declined to delve into specifics about her plans. She told reporters her leadership would build on the foundations laid by outgoing Commissioner Clayton Fernander, saying: “We have a lot of work to do. We certainly will follow up what Mr Fernander has started with our organisation.” The RBPF has faced heightened scrutiny in recent months, including international attention following a US indictment implicating several Bahamian officials.
ACP Knowles projected
Fernander’s decision to resign based on using vacation time before expiry
By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune News Editor
IN his first interview
since announcing his intention to resign, Commissioner of Police Clayton Fernander attributed his decision to a wish to use his vacation time before his contract expires.
“I’m great, I’m feeling good,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the Boxing Day Junkanoo parade when asked about his decision.
He said his contract will end in a few months.
“I decided I have a lot of vacation, and I decided after speaking with family members that I would just carry it on,” he said, confirming that January 3 will be his last day in office as Assistant Commissioner Shanta Knowles prepares to take the top post.
Commissioner Fernander’s departure came amid the public’s concern about police corruption.
The announcement of his exit came days after he
delivered a national address in which he announced measures to improve the quality of police officers and boost accountability.
The United States District Court Southern District of New York has alleged that drug traffickers have smuggled tons of cocaine through The Bahamas into the United States since 2021 with the “support and protection of corrupt Bahamian government officials, including high-ranking members of the Royal Bahamas Police
Force”.
After the indictment was revealed, pressure mounted for Commissioner Fernander to resign.
Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis, announcing the commissioner’s resignation in the House of Assembly earlier this month, said: “The commissioner has served the force with distinction and I want to emphasise that there are no allegations of wrongdoing against him but the Royal Bahamas Police Force needs change.”
PINTARD OUTLINES PARTY FOCUS FOR NEW YEAR
FREE National Move-
ment (FNM) leader
Michael Pintard outlined his party’s parliamentary focus for the upcoming year, emphasising key issues such as the high cost of living, food security, and the longawaited sale of the Grand Lucayan Hotel.
Mr Pintard reiterated his call for the removal of VAT on essential food items.
He also stressed the need for increased resources for small and medium-sized businesses, including farmers and fishers, to help boost food production and alleviate pressure on Bahamians.
Additionally, the opposition leader urged the government to provide an update on the status of the Grand Lucayan Hotel sale and the progress on the airport project.
“We don’t know what is causing the delays with the airport, and we hope the Minister of Tourism can address that issue,” he said.
He called for a reexamination of investment legislation previously passed by the government.
“We believe that legislation needs to be repealed, and the government must ensure that payments have a clear link to the sovereign wealth fund and how it can benefit citizens,” he said.
Turning to Family Island matters, the MP for Marco City expressed concerns about the lack of progress in development.
He noted: “The government implemented legislation that stipulates taxes collected in the Family Islands should remain there. However, we have not seen any advancements in this regard, and they should modify the legislation to help drive revenue into the family islands.”
Mr Pintard also urged the government to pass a comprehensive set of legislation focused on youth policy, which he said has been pending for over 20 years.
Addressing reporters following the 2024 Boxing Day Junkanoo parade, he reflected on his time as the minister responsible for Junkanoo, and recalled how he learned to trust the decisions made by the Junkanoo Corporation of New Providence (JCNP), the independent body responsible for organising the country’s premier cultural event.
“One of the reasons we established these organizations is because they maintain a strong relationship with all the groups involved, and they often
make decisions that are in the best interest of young people,” Mr Pintard said.
When asked about the FNM’s candidate selection for the next general election, he said they are “moving steadily in that direction.”
He added: “We expect that early in the year, you will hear from more of those individuals who privately know they will be running. Once we get past the Christmas season, you’ll see and hear more from them.”
He did not disclose how many people have already been informed that they will be FNM candidates for the next general election but indicated that “people have been approached; they know what time it is”.
MAN ACCUSED OF SEX A SS AULT OF 10-YEAR-OLD GIRL
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter
pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A 36-YEAR-OLD man was granted bail after he was accused of sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl earlier this month.
Senior Magistrate
Anishka Isaacs arraigned Dentry Miller on indecent assault on Tuesday.
The defendant stood before the magistrate with his head wrapped in a bandage. The defendant allegedly inappropriately touched an underaged girl in New Providence on December 14. Miller pleaded not guilty to the charge. With no objection to his bail from the prosecutor, bail was granted to the defendant at $4,000 with one or two sureties. Under the terms of his bail, Miller was warned not to interfere with the complainant or any witnesses in his case. He will also be fitted with a monitoring device and must sign in at the Grove Police Station every Thursday by 7pm. Miller’s trial begins on March 7, 2025.
confidence in the organisation’s ability to maintain its integrity and overcome adversity.
“We have an organisation to run, and so I’m excited about this opportunity to lead the fine men and women of our organisation,” she said.
“I think you’ve heard before that we’ve always been under the microscope, always, and we’ve always risen above all the criticisms that we’ve been hearing about our organisation. I am confident that we will pass all of the challenges that we are facing right now, and we will certainly gain people again.” from
SIX INJURED IN THREE SEPARATE S TABBING INCIDENT S OVER HOLIDAYS
By KEILE CAMPBELL Tribune Staff Reporter kcampbell@tribunemedia.net
VIOLENCE marred the holiday season as separate stabbing incidents in Exuma and New Providence left six people injured between Christmas morning and Boxing Day. Police are investigating the attacks, which occurred in Moss Town, Exuma, and central New Providence. The first incident took place in Moss Town, Exuma, during the early hours of Christmas morning. Shortly before 3.30am, three men, aged 23, 24, and an unidentified third victim, were stabbed during an altercation. Two of the victims sustained wounds to their lower bodies, while the third suffered serious injuries.
Emergency services initially treated the men at a local health facility before airlifting them to New Providence for further care. While two of the victims have been discharged, one remains hospitalised in serious condition.
Police arrested two suspects, aged 26 and 21,
in connection with the incident but have not disclosed a motive.
On Boxing Day, two separate stabbings in New Providence added to the holiday violence. In the first attack, two teenage boys, aged 16 and 17, were stabbed shortly after 4am while walking south of Bay Street on Market Street.
Police said a group of unknown men approached the victims from behind and stabbed them in their upper bodies.
Less than two hours later, at 6am, a 19-yearold man was stabbed in the upper body on Bank Lane while walking south. The suspects, described as a group of unknown men, fled the scene heading toward Shirley Street, just a short distance from the bustling celebrations of Junkanoo on Bay Street. All three victims from the Boxing Day stabbings were taken to the hospital, where they were treated and reported to be in stable condition.
Police are still searching for the suspects involved in both incidents and have called on the public for assistance.
POLICE Commissioner Clayton Fernander gave his first interview since his resignation during the Boxing Day Junkanoo parade.
His explanation for how he came to give his resignation does not add up.
On Monday, December 2, Commissioner Fernander gave a national statement.
This was an unusual occurrence in itself, it was out of the ordinary for someone in his role to give a national address.
It was billed beforehand, people tuned in – and the commissioner gave his response to the indictments served in the US on Bahamian nationals.
First, he spelled out the detail of how he was notified about the arrest of Chief Superintendent Elvis Curtis. The commissioner was travelling in Florida at the time, and went to the courthouse where he met the wife of Superintendent Curtis at the courthouse. He then updated the Prime Minister and the Minister of National Security on “this grave development”.
He described the moment as “not just shocking – it was devastating”.
The commissioner talked of a plan going forward from there – first speaking to various former officials but also detailing action he wanted to take.
He presented what he called a framework “to rebuild the Royal Bahamas Police Force that targets the failures and breaches in trust that have brought us to this point”.
He suggested the implementation of “an encrypted, anonymous whistleblower platform” to “strengthen the existing protections we have for whistleblowers”.
He said this would allow “officers and citizens to report wrongdoing without fear of retaliation”.
He said he would request “significant increased funding” to expand anti-corruption investigations.
The commissioner also said he proposed “we accelerate the transition from paper-based systems to a fully digital platform. This platform will track every action the Force takes, creating a tamper-proof record that ensures transparency and eliminates manipulation”.
He also called for mandatory annual integrity testing for all senior officers and mandatory financial disclosures for all ranks of Chief Superintendent
and up.
Those with departmental responsibility, he said, should be subject to “unexplained wealth orders” where they have to explain sources of money.
He also said: “I propose publishing the names of shortlisted recruits in the newspaper for public feedback.”
The commissioner also talked of mandatory ethics training throughout the force.
He concluded by saying: “This moment requires strong, decisive leadership. I will continue to uphold my oath and perform my duty with integrity, loyalty and courage.”
Within days, the commissioner had resigned.
At Junkanoo, the commissioner said he just wanted to use his vacation time before his contract expires.
He said: “I decided I have a lot of vacation, and I decided after speaking with family members that I would just carry it on.”
His successor, Shanta Knowles, takes office on January 3. At what point was the commissioner planning on executing all of the matters he suggested in his national address?
It seems unusual indeed to lay out an action plan then announced you are leaving on holiday without the time to execute any of it.
It seems even more unusual to call out a “culture of corruption” as he called in the force you lead, only to depart without dealing with it because you want to use up your vacation time.
And even more so to conclude your speech by vowing to “continue to uphold my oath and perform my duty” if you were planning on resigning in such short order.
These things do not sit easily beside one another. If the commissioner was truly planning on taking his vacation and resigning, then the national statement should not have fallen on his shoulders.
As it is, his plan now passes to the soon-to-be Commissioner Knowles – it may not be a plan she wants. She may have her own ideas for how to move forward – indeed, we would imagine she has. Lumbering her with a predecessor’s wishlist is not a great way to start. For her sake, we hope she succeeds in tackling the corruption her predecessor has identified. Her job starts on January 3. We hope she hits the ground running.
Christmas a time of family gathering
EDITOR, The Tribune.
IT WAS during this time of the year that I consider those who have passed, those freed of our life time routines and struggles, but also those who have not the ability to appreciate the good things in life any more. I miss so many people, those I knew well, those I wished to have known better. Christmas is a time of family gathering and celebrations of all things traditional and hopefully yummy as well. Conversations at the dining room table, quick jabs at one another in hopeful gest. A meal to enjoy, some beverages to share. Oh how I miss my brother John, as to my father as well, wishing that I had more time with them to talk, laugh and enjoy what they loved so dearly,
the wilderness, activities like fishing, boating and camp fires with us all sitting around. Relatives and friends we hoped to know better if we had the courage to speak up and extend a hand of friendship. The men and women who helped shape me, those who taught me the meaning of life and the purpose of it all. We are not here just to survive, but to experience and enjoy what life has to offer. Hope for the best but always prepare for the worst. Wisdom offered to us from people you would never have thought were as wise and compassionate as they were and are. They touched your heart and mind, filling your thoughts with challenges and purpose. The Friars of Loretto, PA who taught me much about empathy, charity and love. Friends who
Chivalry is dead
EDITOR, The Tribune
YESTERDAY, while riding the bus, I was sitting near the entrance when a lady got on it at one of the stops.
Because the bus was so crowded, she had to stand in the aisle.
A few minutes after the bus pulled off, I felt it was my duty as a gentleman to offer her my seat.
To my astonishment, she looked at me and replied sarcastically, “I am not that kind of person. Who do you think I am?”
I was shocked but was the only one on the bus affected by this behaviour.
This kind of behaviour has taken root in our society.
When you open the door to let a person go before you, they walk past you without saying thank you.
It’s the same thing in the grocery shop. You let a person with far fewer items in their hands than you have in your trolley, and they look at you as if you are a Martian.
You let the driver of a car filled with children out of the side corner and then watch them deliberately block another vehicle from coming out in front of them. What were the children thinking? Did they learn anything from what they just experienced?
Unfortunately, this behaviour is everywhere, and good manners are no longer a show of respect.
In the media, news of crime and corruption sells more and faster than acts of civility.
help me as I evolve into a better person. Men like Kevin, Ronald, Sean, Gabe and others who personified a God in action, seen in others and felt in our very soul, leading us to do better for others in need.
I miss my sweet elderly mother-in-law affectionately known as Poh Poh. How she pretended to not know English yet laugh when we would tell a joke. I miss all the effort I put into keeping her busy when we were in charge of her weekend entertainment. Her presence was a blessing, as to all those who have touched my life in a good way.
May you experience Blessings of Peace and Love this holiday season. May the Force be with you.
STEVEN KASZAB Bradford, Ontario December 24, 2024.
Not too long ago, Officer Deacon Donald Lotmore persuaded a young lady not to commit murder and suicide by stopping her from drowning both herself and her baby child. There was no mention of this in the news.
Not a lick.
The reason is that everyone is so caught up talking about the corrupt police officers and so anxious to find out who the implicated politician is.
Officer Donald Lotmore’s act of heroism is small-time news.
This scenario takes me back to John 13:21-24“After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit and testified … Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.”
The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke. “One of
his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at the table at Jesus’ side,” so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking.
Do we see the message here?
The Lord had just announced that one of his disciples would betray him. That might have bothered them, but they were more concerned about who would do it than whether it would happen. It does not matter whether the unnamed politician is innocent or guilty. We want his head, and we want it now.
Ever since this news broke, there were several names bandied about.
Some people have no qualms about sullying innocent people’s names.
The outgoing Commissioner of Police addressed this when he admonished the public to be careful when they connect persons to criminal offences.
We don’t know if it is jealousy or what.
Whatever it is, it is wrong.
Furthermore, a moment of frailty does not condemn anyone because anything can happen to anyone, even you. Let us examine Matthew 26:34-35. “Truly, I tell you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.”
But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same. Now let us move to, Mathew 26:72-75.
He denied it again with an oath: “I don’t know the man!” After a while, those standing there approached Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them; your accent gives you away.”
Then he began to call down curses and swore to them, “I don’t know the man!” Immediately, a rooster crowed. Then Peter remembered Jesus’s word: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.
Our point is that, under certain circumstances, everyone has a weakness. Peter was with Jesus for
three years during Jesse’s entire ministry, and when Peter should have defended him, he turned his back on him because of fear.
We are talking about Peter. Yes, the same Peter Jesus called the rock on which he would build his church.
We hear it constantly: I’m not my brother’s keeper. No, you are not his keeper but his best friend. You grew up together, went to school together, and ate out of the same pot.
He would do anything for you, even give you the shirt on his back.
Now you stand idly by and watch people mistreat him.
If you are wondering why brothers and friends kill each other, if you missed it, it is a learned trait.
They watched their parents smile in the neighbour’s face while stabbing them in the back.
That is why our world is in such turmoil.
Chivalry is dead; you only read about manners in fairy tales, betrayal is common, and animals are the only loyal ones.
But that does not mean it is the way it has to be. As we approach the last Sunday in the season of Advent, what better time than now, when love is in the atmosphere to make a change?
Advent is the period of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas and also of preparation for the Second Coming of Christ. In preparation for this grand party, we are busy buying gifts and decorating our yards and homes. But in the flurry of it all, we tend to forget the real reason we are celebrating.
Lest we forget: We are celebrating because we’re looking at not just one coming, one that’s already happened, but another that we wait for with great anticipation and joy, the second coming.
One songwriter said, “It’s that time of year when the world is sincere
Even the man who has everything would be happy if you could bring Him love on Christmas day. No greater gift is there than to give love on Christmas day.” Merry Christmas everyone.
God Bless the Bahamas.
ANTHONY PRATT Nassau, December 18, 2024.
GOATS at Cat Island took over the bar and restaurant.
Photo: Antoinette Seymour
Photos: Chappell Whyms Jr
Photos: Chappell Whyms Jr
FIF TH PLACE A DIVISION
Photos: Chappell Whyms Jr
Photos: Chappell Whyms Jr
Photos: Nikia Charlton
Photos: Chappell Whyms Jr
MIGHTY E AGLES SIXTH PLACE B DIVISION
Z BANDITS
EIGHTH PLACE B DIVISION
Photos: Nikia Charlton
So proud to be Bahamian
A salute to the fnal days of 2024, a very good year for the rich, a very tough one for most
AS the clock ticks silently counting down to year-end, we wait and watch intently. In a few days, one year will end, another begin. We act as if the time were defined, tangible, when in reality one year simply rolls into the next. The only drumroll is in our heads. And again, I wonder why we make such a fuss at what in nature is a seamless transition.
No matter how much champagne we guzzle or how hard we blow on a noisemaker, the fact is the minute before midnight December 31, 2024, and the minute after, January 1, 2025, are just two similar minutes, one following the other like all minutes ticking on a clock. Just another two minutes in our lives, one falling into one year, the other pushed into the year after. We choose to make them different because we have an emotional need to separate them, to quash the past and start fresh. We draw a line in the sand as if the outgoing tide will wash away the detritus of the outgoing year and the incoming waves deposit excitement and joy, health and wisdom in the year it slams onto our shore. We act as though there will be a difference when in reality we are the ones who create
By Diane Phillips
the difference and chances are we are not going to do anything different from what we did before, despite our best resolutions. Only humankind marks the passing of a calendar year. Birds do not, they mark the seasons for migration when weather dictates behaviour. Flora and fauna, dogs and turtles, tigers and elephants do what they always do, moving from one day to the next without marking an artificial changeover. We feel a need to do it, as if by changing the year we can change our luck. We feel that need to kiss one year goodbye and open our arms and hearts to the next one though we have no idea whether it will be better or worse when realistically it will probably be pretty much the same as the year before because while we make a very big deal about changing the calendar as if it can induce the change we long for, we do
very little about changing the behaviour that would make change possible.
We are creatures of habit who fool ourselves into thinking that life will change because the calendar did. So if we look at with honest eyes, what that means is that the rich are likely to get richer in 2025 and the poor, well, let’s just say that it is a good thing that charities and goodhearted people exist.
I don’t intend to dwell on the poverty vs survival states, but just wanted to point out that in America, the risk-averse S&P 500 index was up 25 percent in 2024 and the riskier NASDAQ gained 30 percent. Those are huge numbers. The economy was booming, but bacon and eggs cost the earth, or so America felt at election time. This year, 2024, was a mixed bag that all but defies a single synonym. Am I wrong in thinking there
was a war of some kind on every inhabited continent? Were individual wealth and human smuggling both at record highs?
In The Bahamas, where tourism continued to be the number one economic driver, real estate and development padded the coffers and began to change the built environment. The luxury property market seemed to know no bounds. One real estate agency doubled its sales from the previous year. Doubled.
Contemporary design with open spaces and sleek lines became commonplace, overtaking the cottage style appeal except in places like Spanish Wells or Russell Island where it was hard to find an historic shotgun style cottage or anything with two bedrooms for under a million dollars. We grew accustomed to the sight of high rises growing out of the sands of Cable Beach and we witnessed a strong uptick in development on the south side of New Providence. Carmichael Road became the new downtown. Northbound traffic on Gladstone Road at peak morning hours tested patience as did westbound on Saunders Beach at day’s end. New Providence was overrun with vehicular traffic and in Eleuthera, power outages were so commonplace that fed-up residents said power staying on all day was a headline. Those who could afford it and nearly every business had to have a generator. So while ex-pat and local rich got richer, many Bahamian-owned businesses felt tortured, expressing shock that they were expected to base their business licence fee on guessing their income for the coming year, working out any differences later. Huh? In some circles, there were initial rumblings about a movement to withhold VAT payments. There was also good news. Potholes in many areas were filled. Thirtytwo schools throughout The Bahamas now have active farms. There are more farmer’s markets than ever before in New Providence. Tourism hit record numbers and several new experiences were launched. The somewhat lackluster banking industry heard the cry and responded. After abandoning or closing physical facilities in several family islands, some banks upped their game in digital payment solutions, making online banking, credit and debit cards easier to access, payroll more convenient and one bank, in particular, accelerating the use of digital currency through its online portal. New digital payment providers opened in a rapidly growing
sector and The Bahamas became a pioneer, the first in the world to have a government backed digital currency, Sand Dollar, born largely out of necessity, and immediately providing convenience.
We finally have strong consumer protection legislation, though it seems crazy that we did not before. Even as more environmental advocates speak out, there are growing concerns about careful management of the marine environment, something to watch for closely in 2025.
The mixed bag of 2024 reached as far as the kitchen and our personal well-being, or lack thereof.
For the average household, the cost of a traditional bacon and eggs breakfast was enough to induce heart failure if the choice of food alone did not lead to high blood pressure. We continued to be a nation with too much obesity, too high an incidence of non-communicable diseases and too little critical governance legislation. We are about to yank the 2024 calendar from the wall and yet we still do not have a Freedom of Information Act nor have we passed accountability and transparency legislation though the Organization for Responsible Governance (ORG) is winning allies with every call for the basics of a civil society regulated more by standards and less by who you know.
And so we face 2025 as a country of mixed emotions, proud to be Bahamian despite the widening and painful gap between the haves and have-nots, proud to stand tall and sing the National Anthem, knowing it is the most beautiful national anthem in the world, proud to travel anywhere and say “I am Bahamian” and return home to power outages, non-potable water, tangled traffic, lack of preservation of our historic architecture or sufficient supply of blood in the hospital, and all the inconsistencies of a country that is faced with more than it can handle, yet so proud of what it is. So proud of who we are. So proud to be Bahamian regardless of the year. Always proud.
