July 1, 2012
The Abaconian
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The Abaconian July 1, 2012
July 1, 2012
The Abaconian
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Central Abaco Love for Lowes Walk-a-Thon raises funds
Volunteers and community members rallied together in an effort to raise funds for Brent and Angela Lowe. Over $2,000 was raised during the walk-a-thon that will go towards the rebuilding of the Lowes’ home. By Mirella Santillo Four people- among them ten years old Jovan Bailey- walked the entire five miles from the BAIC Market Place to Mr. And Mrs. Lowes old house in Spring City on June 23.The event was a fund raising walk to help the Lowes rebuild their home of 17 years that has to be pulled down because of termite infestation, making it unsafe to inhabit. Quite a few people had registered
for the walk after having gathered pledges from sponsors. But unfortunately the weather did not cooperate and shortly after they started the walkers met with rain, making the endurance of the four people who stuck to the end, all the more noteworthy. They were Dr. Derrick Bailey with Island Veterinary Clinic, his son Jovan in one team and Judy Albury with Audra Bootle in the other team. The participants
were driven back to the departure point where hot chicken souse awaited. The event was one of several to follow. Volunteers of the Rotary Club of Abaco, bringing several pots of chicken souse and trays of Johnny Cake, had gathered under the BAIC Market place to register the walkers and sell the souse. According to the organizers, over $2,000 was collected between pledges and sales. Patrick Bethel and Mrs. Victoria Albury were among the people who raised the highest amount of money for the cause, but much more is needed to achieve the goal of pulling the house down and rebuilding it. Angela Lowe has become the only breadwinner in the family after her husband stopped working a couple of years ago because of diabetes. Their son who is now 17 years old was born with cerebral palsy, a condition that requires extra medical care and expenses. They are presently renting but would like to restore their home in order to cut one of the fixed expenses. The Rotary Club has undertaken the task of raising money to help the family. President Jo-Ann Bradley is in the process of putting together a task force to coordinate the accumulation of building materials. People interested in contributing can contact Ms. Bradley at 366-2185 or 5778077.
Rotary Club of Abaco engages in a cleanup of Owanatas Pon in Marsh Harbour On June 9 the Rotary Club of Abaco organized a cleanup of Owantas Pond in Marsh Harbour. Owantas Pond, which was dedicated to the mother of Fred Gottlieb, is a high traffic used by locals and tourists alike. Sometime in the past the Rotary Club built a gazebo and walkway over the pond which allows visitors to enjoy the scenery. Over the years the Interact Club, a youth branch of the Rotary Club, have painted and maintained the pond. However, many agreed it was time to engage in a full cleaning. Seven Rotarians were present that day and up to their elbows in the pond. They cleaned and raked the area, leading to two pick-up trucks full of debris being hauled away. The majority of the trash proved to be Styrofoam boxes commonly used for “to-go” lunches. The Rotary club plans to repaint the site later in September.
Call The Abaconian at 367-3200 with any news. Contact the editor at 577-2723
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Section A
The Abaconian July 1, 2012
Central Abaco More hurricane season tips A reminder that hurricane season is coming, and it’s coming quickly. Here are some quick tips to follow in order to assure you are safe during the storm: • Have some sort of shutters to protect your windows. Plywood sheets (at least 5/8”) are most com monly used, but people do use steel panels, roll down shutters, and mo torized systems. • The most inexpensive option is plywood sheets, but remember to have them pre-cut and measured, predrilled, labeled and stored where they can be quickly installed. Here are some things to do as the storm approaches to assure your home and your life are in the least amount of danger possible: • Listen for weather updates on local radio and/ or television stations. Do not trust rumors, and stay tuned to the latest information. • Check your disaster supplies kit. Obtain any needed items. • Refill prescriptions. Maintain at least a two-week supply during hur ricane season. • Clear yard of potential flying debris, e.g. patio furniture, potted plants, bicycles, and trash cans. • Protect your windows and glass doors.
• Fill your car with gas, check oil, etc. • Make sure your boat is SECURE. • Over chlorinate your pool. • Get cash. ATMs and Banks will be CLOSED.
Abaco Rescue Team ready to serve the community By Canishka Alexander During the Community Emergency Preparedness Day on June 23, three members of the Abaco Shoreline and Rope Rescue Team or Abaco Rescue Team were present. According to Sgt. Paul Johnson, nine men successfully completed phase one of three phases of training on Abaco in March. They are presently unable to assist with deep -water rescue missions until they move on to the other phases. Even so, Sgt. Johnson said that they form a network that will be connected throughout the islands of The Bahamas and indeed throughout the world. “It’s a network because the U.S. Embassy’s intention is to put a team of rescue persons on each major island,” he explained. “What is so good about Abaco is that it was the first island selected to do the course.” The Abaco Rescue Team has a complement of skilled and experienced members like John Pintard from EMS, Sarone Kennedy from the Central Abaco Red
Cross Group, “It’s a network Danny Sawbecause the yer from the Volunteer Fire U.S. Embassy’s Department, and Bobby intention is to Jones with put a team of a few memrescue persons bers from the D e p t a r t m e n t on each major of Civil Aviaisland,” tion. Kennedy added that ultimately the intent is to form a national rescue team and then a regional one. So far, Abaco and Grand Bahama have completed Level One of the training, which deals with rescue and surface water rescue. New Providence is next on the list. According to Pintard, the shoreline and rope rescue training is a joint course sponsored by the U.S. Northern Command, NEMA and BASRA. They all received a standard training whereby if they are called anywhere in the world, they will be prepared to assist. “So it’s now a training that was revised just to suit Abaco,” Pintard said. “Yes, we’ve done training that benefits Abaco, but we all have the same standards. If we work with another team, once I give certain commands, everybody knows.” The Abaco Rescue Team is in the process of acquiring a phone number in the event something happens and they need to be contacted.
50th Bahamas Scout Group visits By Canishka Alexander Rev. Pastor Lucien Cledillon, scout leader of the 50th Bahamas Scout Group of Abaco, said that he is in charge of approximately 60 children – a number he hopes will grow to 100 by the summer’s end. The scouts meet every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Haitian community known as “The Mud” and have been meeting together for the last six months. During their meetings, he said the young people are engaged in many positive activities like picnics and camping, church services, swimming and hiking. “I started the scouting program to keep the children safe and keep them occupied, and to change the character of the young people,” said Rev. Cledillon. He said he was involved in the scout program since he was 11 years old, and he began as a cub scout. Rev. Cledillon also said the program has helped to mold him into the adult he is today, and it has allowed him to develop a love for working with children. He is appreciative for the contribution that the Scouts program makes to the education and training of the youth and it helps to develop them into happy, respectful people. The children who are involved are as young as seven and eight years old, and they are involved in Cub Scouts. The 12 to 15 year-olds are “Real Scouts” as Rev. Cledillon puts it, and the teenagers Please see
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July 1, 2012
The Abaconian
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The Cays Barefoot Man summer concert scheduled for July Now running well over its 10th year the Barefoot Man Concert at Nippers on Great Guana Cay has become one of Abaco annual, huge events. It’s three days of music, dance and the merry making that Nippers Grill is famous for. This year’s summer version will take place on July 20 with the day concert starting around noon, the evening dinner dance performance on the 21 at sunset and the ever popular pig roast concert on Sunday the 22. The Sunday version will feature Barefoots back up crew, Sea n B Band minus Barefoot. Best known for his catchy Abaco tunes such as Hope Town Ferry , The Fig Tree and BEC , George (Barefoot Man)
Nowak has close ties in Abaco which he has considered his second home since the late 60’s. His daughter Dawn and a litter of grandchildren live on Green Turtle Cay. The event brings in visitors from as far away as Brazil and Hawaii and always proves to be an important part of Guana Cay’s yearly tourism boost. Normally cottages, boat slips and golf carts are at a cutoff point that weekend. The Barefoot Man has some 20 albums to his credit. Band members are Chuck and Barrie Quappe, Mark McTaggard and Bugs Wilson. For the three day event - shoes are not required. For more information call the Nippers crew.
Revised community center plans revealed for Hope Town By Erin Patterson The meeting for the new community center in Hope Town was opened in prayer by Mr. Vernon Malone. The meeting went on to tell about the newly revised plan for the community center which will be used as a theater, a place for youth activities, an event hall for birthday parties, bridal showers, luncheons, etc. It will also be able to hold important meetings, such as for the town council, the concerned citizens watch meetings, alcoholic anonymous meetings, and so much more. It will even be able to be used as a polling station for voting and will be fully equipped and certified as a hurricane shelter. The newly revised plans have been drawn up by Mr. Michael Myers and will be built by Mr. Stephen Moss, Mr. Kevin Albury and others. It will be funded by mostly donations, starting with a donation of $100,000 in memory of the late Mrs. Patti Vespour.
Green Turtle Cay hosts
Lionfish Derby By Timothy Roberts The Servance family aboard Lil Big Fish won big in the Fourth Annual Green Turtle Lionfish Derby - a collaboration of REEF, Green Turtle Club and Brendal’s Dive Center along with the Ministry of Tourism -catching 296 lionfish and earning the Top Female Hunter as Felicia Servance caught a total of 55 during the competition held on June 16. The top three boats this year belonged to local fishermen with Got One coming in third place with 124 trailing The Bo Lowes who caught 144 but both ended up far behind this year’s winner, Lil Big Fish. Larry Lowe, on The Bo Lowes, won the prize for the Largest Lionfish, measuring in at 316mm, followed by Team Zissou’s 315mm fish for second place and Rum Punch’s 305mm third place fish. The top prize for Smallest Lionfish (which had to be brought in alive) went to Team Zissou with their fish measuring a mere 50mm. All Play and Got One both netted 64mm lionfish but All Play got second place based on time. Please see
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George “Barefoot Man” Nowak (front and left) performing at Nippers in Guana Cay during a concert in 2011. George along with bandmates Chuck and Barrie Quappe, Mark McTaggard and Bugs Wilson together form the eponymous “Barefoot Man” group.
Enjoy great dining at Angler’s Restaurant or casual fare at our famous pool bar both at the water’s edge in Marsh Harbour
Karaoke
Tuesday night by the Pool Bar starting at 8 pm.
Rake n’ Scrape Dance with “Brown Tip” every Friday night starting at 8:30 pm.
Calypso Night
“Clint Sawyer” LIVE every Saturday night at 8:30 pm.
Stephen Colebrook
Enjoy Stephen’s versatile piano music and vocals Wednesday through Sunday. Contact us at 367-2158
www.AbacoBeachResort.com
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Section A
The Abaconian July 1, 2012
From the Editor's Desk
How about this weather? It’s getting to be so gloomy and rainy that it doesn’t quite seem like summer. I’m used to summer squalls, but cloudless days seem to be in short supply this season. Well, if we can avoid a hurricane this year because of the constant rain and clouds I suppose we can count it as a plus. Our tourists might not like it too much, but it is much better than the alternative. I am feeling a little disappointed, however. I was really looking forward to a summer full of sunshine and bright blue skies. The kind I remember as a child and teenager. I’m not upset at the weather for purely selfish reasons, even though I am really looking forward to going in the boat on a glass calm day, I’m upset because I have friends visiting soon and I want things to be perfect. I think I’ve bought into the notion that our sand, sun and sea is a product and it should be bundled and presented as such. But this is folly. Stick around and I hope I can convince you likewise by the end of this editorial, dear reader. Yes, I have friends coming to visit from out-of-country. Friends who I have been, for months, hyping-up about our beautiful island, and explaining our island’s superiority to any other vacation spot. Most days I stand by my words about our perfection and paradise. I’m only selling that product that all of us, in our tourist-driven society, create and cater to. But that thinking is causing me a lot of grief right now. With my friends arriving in just a few short days –by the time you’re reading this they will have arrived- I will hate to sheepishly apologize for the weather. Apologize for the weather. An absurd notion. And yet I believe most of us have been in a similar situation, whether because of visiting relatives or friends, that we feel it is our duty to explain how gor-
The Abaconian Bradley M. Albury Editor-in-Chief AB 20213 Marsh Harbour Abaco, The Bahamas
geous last week was while our houseguests sit inside out of the pouring rain. At least it’s not a hurricane. But perhaps it’s a product of my education. Maybe my generation was raised to treat our natural resources as products to be exploited, advertised, polished and dangled in front of the almighty tourist dollar. But I’m not here to bash that system, it seems to have worked. It’s turn us all into peddlers and salesperson of a commodity we have no direct control of, but it has worked. But it has come at a cost. I’m not going to go off on a rant right now with this editorial. The cost I’m referring to is not some insidious specter of capitalism or a path of environmental destruction. The cost I mean is that it has jaded us in a subtle way. Many of us, especially those in the tourist industry proper, have become so caught up in bottling “perfection” that we are at risk of forgetting the true beauty this island is blessed with. Both natural beauty and the beauty and strength of our people. But my friends are coming. And I am excited. I am trying to brush aside the thought of an impending week of cloudy, “sub-perfect” weather that I will likely spend with them. I’m hoping for sunny skies and calm water, but I’ve reminded myself that what makes this island and country great is that we don’t need to rely on “perfect days” to show our country’s guests a good time. We have the regatta coming up, we have restaurants and Bahamian cuisine to try and lighthouses and loyalist ruins to explore. You don’t need a blisteringly bright day for a drive down to Sandy Point to show off that unique part of Abaco, and you don’t need glass calm water for a ferry ride to Green Turtle to show off the Bust Garden and quaint village this island’s ancestors built. No there may not be perfect weather this summer. But it shouldn’t stop you from having a perfect time with your friends. It shouldn’t stop you from having a perfect time with your family. Don’t get caught up in waiting for perfection. You’ll go crazy because you’re buying into a fantasy. Create perfection by exploring this great island and diving into our diverse, interesting communities.
// Perfect
Upcoming Events
•June 30: St. John Church Mini Fair & Fun Day •June 30: Will Bethel Med Expense Fundraiser •June 30: Green Turtle Cay Firefighters’ Steakout •June 30: Regatta Race 1 - Green Turtle Cay •July 1: Regatta Lay Day / Coco Beach Party •July 2: Regatta TC to Guana Race 2 – Party and Awards at Guana Grabbers •July 3: Snappas Annual Ring Toss Tournament •July 3: Regatta Lay Day – Party at Marsh Harbour Marina •July 4: Regatta Marsh Harbour Race 3 – Party and Awards at Crossing Beach •July 5: Junkanoo Festival @ Sea Spray •July 5: Regatta Marsh Harbour to Hope Town Race 4 – Party and Awards at Sea Spray Resort • Regatta Lay Day – Party at Lubbers Landing, Hope Town •July 7: Independence Fun Run / Walk •July 7: Regatta Hope Town Race 5 – Final Awards and Party and Final Awards at HT Harbour Lodge •July 8: Ecumenical Service at Mount Hope •July 9: Flag Raising Ceremony BAIC Park •July 10: Independence Day •July 16 - July 20: FRIENDS Summer Camp •July 19: D-Mack @ Sea Spray
Why subscribe? The Abaconian will keep you informed on issues such as: • Resort & hotel development • Improvements to (and disrepair of) infrastructure • Important Utility Updates • Community events • Fishing, boating & sporting activities • New business ventures • Immigration, taxes or duty changes • Changes in airline service • Changes to laws and regulations • Actions by local government
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JUNE 2012
July 1, 2012
The Abaconian
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Letters to the Editor Excessive Fees Dear Editor, I read with interest your editorial entitled ‘Crawfish Whips’ in the May 1 issue of your newspaper ‘The Abaconian’, and the note about seeing more sailboats in the harbours. My husband and I are living on our boat permanently, and have been gradually working our way up the Eastern Caribbean islands and on to the east coast of the US. We have cleared into the Bahamas on our way, intending to stay for about 3 weeks. The fees charged by Customs are $300 for a vessel of our size, which includes a 12-month cruising permit and 3-month fishing permit and multiple departures/entries back to the Bahamas as long as they occur within the first 90 days. As we are not planning to stay in the Bahamas for 12 months, nor do we plan to re-enter the Bahamas within 90 days, the $300 fee seems excessive. I can understand the justification for the fee if a person wants to keep his boat in Bahamian waters for a long time, but we are just passing through. It would be better to charge us a lower fee for a shorter time period. We had planned to revisit the Bahamas on our way back down from the US in 6 months’ time, but if we have to pay another $300 for the pleasure, we shall not be doing it. Your harbours may not be so full as you wish. Regards, Glenys Howarth
Up to the People Dear Editor, Any nation has the potential to have a great impact in the world's economy but its up to the people to decided against settling for dependency. The people's morals, attitude, passion, and respect towards its own country is what determines the success of a nation. As a proud Bahamian college student studying abroad the state of my Bahama land saddens me; the blind eyes, castrated lips, and barricaded ears of the people drives my heart to a silent suicided. What has become of the passion we once had for progress? We only demand from the government during election. We sit and listen to each party bad mouth one another as they accuse each other of under-the-table deals, money laundering, and other failures of the opposition. The just months before the general election whoever is the present government signs contracts, starts a government
job program hiring a large amount of people for a period of time, and then begin flashing all they have done. My people it's not what you can see that will hurt us or change our current situation but it's the issues that are being done in the back rooms soon to be forgotten that are going to hurt us in the long run. We have issues surrounding our natural resources such as fisheries, salt, aggregate and aragonite which if used, marketed, and managed correctly can change the Bahamian economy by providing jobs and bring in much needed capital. It's up to the people to not look for a country to depend on but to become the country we are looking for. Together let's make our voices heard. We do not work for our representatives, but they work for us. Carl Archer Jr.
RE: A Tale of Two Grass Jobs Dear Editor, As I can appreciate the concerns of the writer in the previous edition of The Abaconian, I would like to address his or her very precise observations relating to grasses selected to be used on Government jobs. Firstly when a company is selected for a contract it is customary that they follow the guidelines of the architect and the specifications of their plans. While I may have wished to use the Locally Grown grass, as I have done in the past, it was not an option. Bahia grass is characteristically know to look poorly on installation but bounces back very quickly, as you will see it is almost all green and ready for cutting now. As a Bahamian grower/producer myself, I appreciate all concerns to protect local markets and wherever possible, respect them. Care Landscaping, Marsh Harbour, Abaco
From C.O.B student to the Teaching Profession Dear Editor, In June I would have completed my first year of teaching after graduating from the College of The Bahamas last year. This experience has been like none other and I would never forget it. Initially, when I was told that I was being assigned to Moore’s Island Abaco I had mixed emotions. On the one hand, I was delighted that I was finally making that transition from student to
professional. I would also be gainfully employed and would have the capacity to care for myself and three year old child. I was very hesitant because until this time I knew nothing about Moore’s Island, Abaco. I had spent sometime during my childhood in Exuma and my experiences there wasn’t the most pleasant and so this was another reason I had mixed emotions about life on another Out Island. I had these reservations and I expressed these; however I was assured after having several phone conversations with the District Superintendent at that time Dr. Black, that everything would be okay and that this would be a good first assignment for me. Mrs. Black the superintendent at the time tried to cushion the harshness of this experience. To my dismay however, I needed more than a cushion to soften the harsh realities of life as a new teacher to the profession and life on an Island that was labeled Severe Hardship by the Ministry of Education. Upon my arrival to Moore’s Island, I observed that there were no food stores, or banks or easy access to Nassau. Flights were only leaving for Moore’s Island Monday, Wednesday and Fridays and the options were limited too. Abaco Air provided flights either at 8:30 a.m. in the morning or 3:30 p.m. in the afternoon. There was one road that meandered from one end to the island to the next. It basically took five minutes to go from one end to the island to the next by car. There was also a deadly silence cloaking the place. The silence was so loud that even mosquitoes could be heard quite distinctly in the night. These conditions were in stark contrast to life in New Providence. Despite the conditions I found, I started the school term optimistically as a Religious Studies and Family Life teacher and a new mother. I tried my best to fulfill my duties using the experiences, I had gained from Teaching Practice and my other previous training experiences obtained through the College of The Bahamas. Growing up in a Christian home, I was always taught to work hard, not to complain and to pray about things that troubled me. Whatever troubles I was having, I was taught to put them in the hands of God. As I began to experience challenges in Moore’s Island I did what I knew best, I worked harder, did not complain and prayed that things would have gotten better. Although I prayed the situation didn’t improve. Living in Moore’s Island was like being a fish in a fish bowl. My life was confined to work, home and church. You are essentially a hamster on a wheel. Life on the out Islands is smothering because Out islanders see no separation between who you are as a professional and as a person. Your professional and personal life is seamlessly entwined into one. Also, there is no gym or restaurant, or cultural activities or dance classes or Toastmasters you can look for-
ward to, to develop yourself. All you know is that you feel yourself dying inside. Forget about intellectual stimulation. It’s as if you have been marooned on an Island trapped in a 1960’s time zone. If you once celebrated individuality and fashion, consider this a thing of your past. Curves and individuality, all that make you feminine is not celebrated. You are now a brown paper bag, for to be a good teacher one must be ultra conservative in long sleeved desert hot suits. Of course, I am not saying that dress and grooming is not important to the work that teachers do but we need to take a second look at our narrow view of what is professional. We must ensure that in our efforts to standardize this profession we do not impose our European will on others. After all who really has the right to say what is professional or what is not professional? The concept of professional is a subjective one. The end all and be all of who you are as an individual is a robot who dispenses information to children. Being a teacher means you work hours and hours during the after school hours planning lessons and assessing student’s books at the neglect of yourself and family. From the vantage point of the community, your employer, and administration no matter how much time you invest planning and teaching lessons you are not doing enough. From the standpoint of the media you are just not doing enough. Being a teacher means you will never please your employer or the society because for them success means A’s and B’s at the examination level. Being a teacher is a thankless job because the little that you do never ever seems to be enough. Do you know what it feels like to work forty hours a week and still have people complain about how inefficient you are? All you want to do is go home at the end of the day and cry because you know within yourself that you have done your best and still people cannot recognize the hard work you do. Teaching to me is a thankless job and even when you communicate your frustrations to Ministry of Education personnel your feedback is met with pessimism, antagonism because from their vantage point, to be a teacher means to carry the burdens of the society, and as you shape the lives of your students you must shut up and deal with it. Teacher’s who voice their displeasure with this reality are met with scorn because they refuse to accept such mistreatment and to be ignored as human beings. When you become a new teacher to the profession, your life is now under a microscope. Standards that many of the community members themselves refuse to live by in their own lives they now expect teachers to live up to these expectations. Teachers are to be the Hail Mary’s of the community Please see
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Central Abaco
Red Cross event focuses on disaster preparedness By Canishka Alexander On June 23, members of the Central Abaco Red Cross Centre organized a Community Emergency Preparedness Day at Central Abaco Primary School from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Group Leader Sarone Kennedy explained that the purpose of the event was to sensitize people and to provide information to them about different types of events that could become emergencies and lead to disasters. Kennedy said that part of the Red Cross’ mission focuses on four core areas: promotion of Red Cross fundamentals and humanitarian values; to provide health and care in the community; disaster response; and disaster preparedness. The latter, he said, was the area targeted for that day. Kennedy indicated that once people are prepared before something like a hurricane or a tornado occurs, it minimizes the loss of life and property. In preparation for the day, Kennedy asked representatives from several agencies on the island to make presentations. During his welcome, Kennedy said: “We know we’re at the beginning of hurricane season, but there are other kinds of things that happen, which are not hurricanes or tornadoes. They are fires and sometimes floods and other kinds of events, so we want to be knowledgeable about what to do in those kinds of situations.” Barbara Johnson, director of the Abaco Red Cross Centre, brought greetings and remarks. She expressed her excitement over the day, and said it was a good day to
Left: Central Abaco Red Cross members. Not pictured : Regina Kennedy and Crystal Linden. get the training and see the hands-on dem- the kinds of products they offer along with onstrations in order to always be prepared. the types of insurance available, so that She also commended the agencies and Red people can rebuild their homes and busiCross members that were represented for nesses. From a claims perspective, Carroll playing a major part in emergencies. suggested that people take an inventory of Throughout the day, Matthew Key all that needs to be insured instead of waitand Sgt. Paul Johnson of the Marsh Har- ing until a disaster is upon them. bour Volunteer Fire Department talked “You can’t just say – ‘Oh, that won’t about fire prevention and fire safety. Mar- happen to me’ – because it’s possible, and garet Smith, a counselor from The Chris- that is why we have insurance,” Carroll tian Counselling Centre, presented infor- commented. “It’s because of the what ifs.” mation on the psychological impact and Claudine Burrows, a Red Cross recovery of those who’ve experienced a member, manned a display that featured tragedy. items that make up a Family Disaster Kit. Portia Laing and Cindy Carroll of J.S. The items included water, a Ziploc bag Johnson Insurance Company pointed out containing important documents, toiletries,
canned goods, bread, eating utensils, medicine kit, battery-operated radio, flashlight, bucket of cleaning supplies, clothing, blanket and pillow and a bin to store everything in. Jerry Cornish was responsible for signing up all who wished to join the Bahamas Red Cross. Donna Lowe of BTC also showcased a number of the company’s products and distributed brochures on prepaid and post paid phone plans as well as broadband services. There were lots of BTC giveaways for those who visited her table. The 50th Bahamas Scout Group from Marsh Harbour was also invited along with the Shallow Water and Rope Rescue Group generally called the Abaco Rescue Team. Meanwhile, EMS representatives provided information on sudden illnesses and how to access their service if something happens. Regina Kennedy gave a presentation to the younger ones on the importance of shelters. Before the lunch break, the children were given Disaster Preparedness colouring books that also provided information on disasters. Kennedy was confident that persons attending the event were given insight into the resources that are available on the island, which to call and how to access that service in an emergency so it does not become a disaster. “Our effort in this regard is to sensitize people and to give them information because knowledge is power, so that people would be prepared and not scared,” Kennedy said.
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The Cays BBC
Cay, captured Third Place Overall in BBC 2012. During the Awards Banquet at Treasure Cay’s Spinnaker Restaurant, team FaLa-Me was awarded the coveted Bahamas Billfish ‘Championship Ring’ created exclusively for the Bahamas Billfish Championship and presented by Monica Higgs of Abaco Gold. BBC President Al Behrendt presented the custom designed Geoffrey Smith bronze trophy for Fa-La-Me’s overall win and a gift certificate from renowned marine artist Steve T. Goione for a Custom Yacht Portrait of the new Fa-La-Me. The ‘Top Overall Captain,’ Robbie Moore, was the recipient of the Lindsay Forde Memorial Trophy, a handsome bronze sculpture presented by the Lewis Marine Group Both teams Miss Annie and Give It Away received Geoffrey Smith custom designed bronze trophies from the BBC. In addition, Miss Annie received a $1,000 gift certificate from Alexseal Coatings and Give It Away was presented with a $500 gift certificate from Treasure Coast Propellers. During the Championship’s 39th season, anglers caught 133 billfish; 75 blue marlin, 42 white marlin and 15 sailfish. The Bahamas Billfish Championship is the oldest billfish tournament series in the world. Anglers can fish any or all of the four tournaments and cumulative points determine the overall Bahamas Billfish Champions. The Bahamas Billfish Championship has two endowed scholarships that enable Bahamian students the opportunity to pursue a degree in marine biology or advanced education in marine technologies.
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Fraser University, working along with REEF, tagged about twenty lionfish. The purpose, she said, is to study how effective the derby is at reducing the lionfish population. So they tagged some lionfish and the tournament added extra incentives for fisherman to catch tagged lionfish. The tagging will also help them determine something about the movements of the lionfish. Lionfish are extremely invasive and are voracious eaters and their impact in the Caribbean is seen as significant as they eat
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Following the Top Female Hunter, Felicia Servance – who won a beautiful conch for a trophy painted and donated by GTC homeowner Dianne Robertson – were second place winner Peggy Rafferty with 44 lionfish and Brooke Raich with 18 came in third place. Winds of about 20 knots worked against fishermen creating visibility problems; however, fishermen managed to bring in over 770 lionfish putting a dent in this invasive species’ population. Bobbie Lindsay, Derby Organizer, said they added a series of prizes for foreign boats this year giving them the ability to be able to compete for a prize. It has been difficult in the past for foreign fisher-
large quantities of juvenile fish, and have even been known to eat juvenile lobster. The purpose of the Derby is to try to minimize the impact through controlling the population of lionfish which are an exotic, non-native species to the Atlantic region. It is suspected that a number of lionfish were released into the ocean from private owners. Ms. Lindsay said “The tournament was great and there was a lot of enthusiasm. We look forward to an even better one next year.”
Felicia Servance earned the Top Female Hunter on the June 26 Derby. She got a total of fifty five and diplays her prize conch shell. men who don’t know the waters as well as the locals to compete “so we added a first, second and third prize for boats that had all foreigners onboard,” she said. They also awarded one dollar per fish up to one hundred fish to give everyone a chance to get some prize money. She said the new program “worked really well and we will do it again. We would have had more fish if the weather had been better; fishermen had to deal with five feet of visibility or less.” Lad Akins, Director of Special Projects at REEF (Reef Environmental Education Foundation), said that the first lionfish derby anywhere in the Caribbean was held right here in Green Turtle Cay in 2009 making it the oldest Derby that also boasts the most prize money. “Based on these results many other derbies were spawned all over the Caribbean as a great way to remove lionfish, engage the public, increase awareness, help develop the market and supply samples for research,” he said. He noted that a lot of people are wary of the fish because of the venom; however, the venom is only located in the spines and has nothing to do with the meat. So at the derby they cook up samples for people to try. This year they added a research component to the derby. About a week before the derby, Stephanie Green from Simon
Team Zissou, borrowing their name and style from a popular Wes Anderson film, were awarded first place for the smallest lionfish caught. Catching the invaders while they are small is a good strategy for preventing schools of smaller fish from meeting a toothy fate.
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The Abaconian July 1, 2012