Former officer charged with manslaughter

The former police officer accused of shooting and killing Jarvis Burrows on Exuma on Wednesday night was charged with manslaughter in the Magistrate’s Court this afternoon.

Jason Anderson, 52, of Stuart’s Exuma, was flown in to New Providence to face charges.

During his initial appearance, Anderson was not required to enter a plea.

He was remanded to the Central Police Station pending his bail application.

The matter, which will proceed by way of a voluntary bill of indictment, was adjourned to January 18.

Police said Burrows died at Exuma International Airport while awaiting transport to New Providence for medical treatment.

Anderson was relieved of his duties following the incident.

The post Former officer charged with manslaughter appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/former-officer-charged-with-manslaughter/

Recognize the lordship of Christ

“And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.” – Colossians 1:18

I can add a new name to my existing names, not by deed poll but by lifestyle, and it can be “Church” – so it will be Ruby Ann Church! Well, I was born in church, raised in church and spent my years thus far in church. I don’t know how to dance the Hully Gully or do the Electric Slide, but I can dance because rhythm is my thing. All that I am is as a result of the church and the teachings of the life, work and witness of Jesus Christ.

There have been some interesting indigenous people over the years, who were called to preach the word of God in season and out of season. Some were trained, and others homespun, but they took their calling seriously and the sheep knew their shepherd and the shepherd knew their sheep. They had little regard if they were not on the popular page, or had riches untold; they were like the newspaper boy who only sold the papers, but was not responsible for the headlines nor the content therein.

But be that as it may, humor had its place in church, and jokes galore abound from the memory page, yet notwithstanding the seriousness of those who announced, “The Lord is in His holy temple, let all the earth keep silence before Him.”

There he was always immaculately dressed in a three-piece suit, smiling; that brown, defined face so pious, humble and sincere. At a glance, one, without knowing the person, could read sterling qualities of a chosen man of God. The Rev. Dr. Timothy E.W. Donaldson was the superintendent of the St. John’s Baptist Churches, some 70-plus of them scattered among the islands, and the pastor of the St. John’s Particular Church of Baptists, located on Meeting Street. He was a bit taller than the pulpit but a giant in spiritual values. He was the consummate under-shepherd of the sheep and knew how to handle both the rod and the staff should occasion call for the rescue of a sheep.

Long gone to his reward, the St. John’s Church and churches continue to be the church under the spiritual guidance of Bishop Carrington Pinder.

In my youth, I enjoyed hearing sea stories from the Reverend Talmadge Sands as he visited aboard sailing mail boats to all the islands that were part of the also 70-plus churches comprising the Zion Group of Churches. Rev. Sands was from Eleuthera, tall and handsome and was of a hue not common among the pastors of his time. He spoke with an interesting accent that made you want to listen to him as he proclaimed the gospel in simple yet profound fashion. He loved his God and he loved his work and was also superintendent and pastor of Zion Baptist.

Rev. Sands is now among all the saints from their labor rest, but the church continues to sing from East and Shirley Streets, “How sweet the name of Jesus sounds in a believer’s ear,” and the present pastor, T.G. Morrison, loudly sounds the warning that the wages of sin is death.

The Rev. Harcourt W. Brown – whenever his name was called it rang bells – bells of freedom from oppression and ostracism, and bells that called a sinful people to repentance. He was eloquent. He was stern, yet charismatic, and well-read. His well-loved sermon “Son, of Man, can these bones live on?” remains a classic. He was the pastor of the historic Bethel Baptist Church, the oldest Baptist church in the nation and it still stands as a beacon of hope, a light in the darkness where bread for soul and body can be found. He was the moderator of the Bethel Association of Churches and a man for all seasons. Yes, he had come from “Obscurity to Open Sea”, as was the name of a book he had written, but his strong faith in God enabled him to weather many storms of life.

His life’s work on earth ended many years ago, but the truth of God’s word still goes forth by Rev. Timothy Stuart from the pulpit of Bethel Baptist Street on Meeting Street.

Samuel J. Stone (1839-1900), being aware of the continuous harassment and persecution suffered by the Christian church from its inception to the present time, and being convicted that the unity of the church must rest solely with a recognition of the lordship of Christ as its head and not on the views and interpretation of men, penned the beautiful and powerful hymn “The Church’s One Foundation is Jesus Christ Her Lord”.

Two of the verses in keeping with our text hold steadfast and true – “Elect from ev’ry nation, yet one o’er all the earth, her charter of salvation one Lord, one faith, one birth; one holy name she blesses, partakes one holy food, and to one hope she presses, with ev’ry grace endued.

“Though with a scornful wonder men see her sore oppressed, by schisms rent asunder, by heresies distressed, yet saints their watch are keeping, their cry goes up, ‘How long?’ And soon the night of weeping shall be the morn of song.”

Praise the Lord for the victory of the church over the foes of satan.

• E-mail haystreet241@gmail.com or rubyanndarling@yahoo.com. Write to P.O. Box 19725 SS Nassau, Bahamas, with your prayer requests, concerns and comments. God’s blessings.

The post Recognize the lordship of Christ appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/recognize-the-lordship-of-christ/

Manage your stress

Merriam-Webster Dictionary describes stress as “force, pressure, strain; … force producing change in shape of body”. Walter Cannon, a physiologist at Harvard Medical School, in the early part of this century, first described the body’s reactions to stress. “When a person is confronted with a sudden frightening situation, and his heart begins to pound, he feels breathless, his muscles tense, the body is prepared to confront the threat, or to run away.” Dr. Cannon was the researcher who first identified this stress reaction as the “fight or flight response”.

Stress may have different meanings for different individuals. Here are a few of them:
• Stress is the body’s physical, mental and chemical reaction to circumstances that frighten, excite, confuse, endanger, or irritate.

• Stress is what prepares you to handle things you are unfamiliar with, or things that appear to threaten you.

• Stress is essentially the rate of all the wear and tear caused by life.

• Stress is the effect upon the person of broken or damaged relationships between the person and God, the person and others, and the person and himself/herself, resulting in actual physical changes within a being.

• Stress is a word referring to the effect the mind exerts on the body, and occurs when combined tensions of life become greater than a person’s ability to handle them.

Dr. Hans Selye, a noted endocrinologist of years ago, states that when we are born, each one of us inherits a certain amount of ability to adapt, to change, to cope and to handle stress stimulus, whether positive or negative. How each one of us reacts to the stressor or stimulus varies. Some people like a lot of stimulation and challenges. Others, with the same amount of stimulation, feel threatened and inundated.

Dr. Selye tells the story of a woman in Australia who appeared on a television quiz show. When told by the emcee that she had just won $100,000, she had a heart attack and died. The TV show was never aired, but the sponsors offered a videotape of the show to the woman’s family, so they could see how happy she was when she died. This illustrates that even a happy event can be overwhelming for some people.

In many instances, we choose whether stress will be a blessing or a curse. Thus, we have the term “stress management”.

Dr. Archibald D. Hart, in his book, “The Hidden Link Between Adrenaline And Stress”, states, “No one can live without experiencing some degree of stress. You may think that only serious diseases or intensive physical or mental injury can cause stress. This is false. Crossing a busy intersection, exposure to draft, or even a sheer joy are enough to activate the body’s stress mechanism to some extent. Stress is not even necessarily bad for you; it is the spice of life; for any emotion, any activity, causes stress.”

In the early 1960s, two physiologists (Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe) studied stress and its effects on the body. Their research also led them to discover that any activity – positive or negative, creates a stressful reaction or physical changes on the body. They found a way of rating certain human experiences or activities by developing the social readjustment rating scale. Each experience or activity mentioned on this scale is given points to measure the level of effect on the body. For example, they discovered that the most stressful event in a human life is the death of a spouse. Thus, they rated that experience with 100 points. Here are a few more examples on the social readjustment rating scale – notice how many points are given to each activity or experience; notice the positive and negative activities.

Doctors Holmes and Rahe discovered that individuals who accumulated less than 150 points in one year, have a 30 percent chance of having stress-related illness. Those who have accumulated 150 to 299 points in one year, have a 50 percent chance of getting an illness. Those who accumulated 300 points and above during a year, have an 80 percent chance of becoming ill.

Several years ago, a dear friend of mine lost his father in an accident. That same year, he went through a painful divorce immediately after the birth of his first child. To make things worse, his closest friend died of lung cancer a few months later. Also, he took on a new job and was transferred to a new territory. To add to the stressful activities, he began a doctoral program that same year and developed a new romantic relationship. At the end of that year, he became seriously ill and was rushed into the emergency room with bleeding ulcers. He was not able to manage the effect of these activities on his body and mind. Let us total the points he accumulated:

He got a divorce – 73 points.

His father died – 63 points.

Birth of his first child – 39 points.

Death of his close friend –– 37 points.

Transferred to a new territory – 29 points.

Change in residence – 20 points.

Beginning school – 20 points.

Total points – 281.

Notice that my friend accumulated 281 points – making a 50/50 percent chance that he would get sick – and he did develop ulcers. He was unable to properly manage his stress. Thus, it affected his body and his mind.

Now, I do not want to frighten you into thinking that you will also get sick if all of these things should happen to you. I am simply trying to illustrate that all we do does produce wear and tear on the human body, and we must take deliberate steps to manage our stress by living well-adjusted, positive lifestyles.

• Barrington H. Brennen is a marriage and family therapist. Send your questions or comments to question@soencouragement.org or write to P.O. Box CB-13019, Nassau, The Bahamas, or visit www.soencouragement.org or call 242-327-1980 or 242-477-4002. 

The post Manage your stress appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/manage-your-stress/

Are hemp and marijuana viable and net beneficial to The Bahamas?

Recently, recommendations surfaced from our economic recovery committee for the establishment of a hemp industry as one of the means of stimulating the Bahamian economy. There has been much discussion about this issue since it was alluded to for several years, partially in combination with the legalization of marijuana. After hearing the recommendation again, I decided to do some research to ascertain for myself if or how viable this industry would be in The Bahamas. While I have not been against medical use of marijuana and hemp, my concern has always been that Bahamians pushing for medicinal use are more interested in marijuana as a business than as medicine. In recent times, from information I received, this is more so the case than I initially thought, and it appears the decision to legalize and push the business side of THC-related marijuana is a background deal involving elements across the business and political spectrum and a foregone conclusion. In spite of this, I decided to begin by examining the hemp industry.

Many potential uses and benefits have been touted – and during this time of economic turmoil and uncertainty – it seemed worth looking into if there was indeed great potential for this product in The Bahamas. Could it be an economic savior, particularly the CBD aspect? As I researched the topic, I came across an article in Forbes Magazine from 2019 and it provided some valuable insight into the viability of this resource to a country such as ours.

The article raised several concerns, which I was not aware of regarding the industry and caused me to delve further. The article revealed potential challenges in establishing such an industry and also showed that it did not appear to be a cut and dry proposition for The Bahamas. Below is a list of the main points from the article:

• The American hemp market was predicted to reach $26 billion in six years, but reality was at least in the initial stages quite different than the projections.

• The first year resulted in poor yields because of delayed planting schedules and heavy rains. The farmers involved doubted the crop would reach its potential as speculated.

• They discovered that growing hemp was more labor intensive than traditional crops. Harder work is involved than other crops with a lot having to be done by hand. 

• New machinery was needed causing heavy investment and retrofitting.

• Some farmers were sold poor seed as there appeared to be a shortage of seed that can be used to produce high quality CBD yields. A number of farmers were duped into purchasing the wrong type of seed. The seed they received ended up being worthless for the type of product they expected to produce.

• Thieves began stealing plants thinking they were marijuana. This forced growers to invest in additional security measures and personnel adding to their cost. Some farmers spent the nights on the forms trying to prevent theft.

• Farmers struggled to find markets for their hemp as the markets did not materialize as expected. The bulk of the hemp was being sold overseas, which presented a challenge because US farmers had to compete with farmers in countries where hemp has been legal for some time.

• Without markets, they had to find a way to store the crop or it would all go to waste.

• Hemp farmers also experienced issues with banking, crop insurance and lack of access to herbicides and pesticides.

If the above is in fact true, this is not the rosy picture one would expect from a product designed to help save the Bahamian economy. It is hard to imagine that Forbes Magazine would fabricate such a story as Forbes is known to be a leader in the business news industry.

The other side of the marijuana industry has shown it can be profitable – yet a myriad of issues are attached to the prosperity. States like California and Colorado that have legalized marijuana have not seen a reduction in illegal activity and in fact, illegal growers proliferated and so did crime as reflected in the excerpt from California:

California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, has declared that illegal grows in Northern California “are getting worse, not better” and two months ago redeployed a contingent of National Guard troops stationed on the border with Mexico to go after illegal cannabis farms instead.

Out of some 32,000 farmers in the region, only about 3,500 had applied for a license by the end of 2017. Some insist that complying with regulations is too costly. Others are evading taxes. Running an illegal “grow,” however, leaves them especially vulnerable to “dope rips” (theft of processed marijuana), precisely because thieves know such farmers will be unwilling to file a police report. Criminal syndicates, which are involved in many of these thefts, resell much of the plunder out of state.

Other studies have shown increases in marijuana-induced psychosis, other mental health issues and negative social impacts including increased emergency visits involving children who ingested marijuana cookies or candy left around by adults.

I am sure there are potential benefits to marijuana production but is there a net benefit to The Bahamas or are we chasing “fool’s gold”? These are some considerations for the debate on this issue. It appears that marijuana will be no savior to The Bahamas. In my recent travel to Amsterdam, I was under the impression that their semi-legalization through a non-enforcement (marijuana is still not legal) experiment was going great and they were happy for the marijuana tourists coming to their city. What I discovered was quite the opposite. They felt the drug shops and sex shops attracted the riff-raff of Europe and were not as excited as the romanticized promotions and stories would have indicated.

So, what does this mean for The Bahamas? I am quite aware at this time that politicians and businessmen have already concluded that they will forge ahead with legalization and at this point, I do not know if anything I present will cause a pause or further consideration, but my job is to speak the truth as I see it and the rest is not in my hands. There is certainly potential profit but do the profits outweigh the negative returns?

Unless someone can come up with a better scenario and better data, the hemp industry seems to be an illusion for The Bahamas. Even if investors invested the money to get started, can The Bahamas realistically compete with the US and other global producers?

At a cursory glance, it appears that the hemp industry is not viable for The Bahamas, at least in the short term. It appears to me that rather than pursuing this course, The Bahamas needs to look at some “low-hanging fruit” options that are before us.

It has been said that during the pandemic, we have been reminded of the need to feed ourselves and not continue to import the overwhelming majority of our food. One possible way to make a dent in imports is to focus in on packaging and preserving what we already grow. Every year, The Bahamas wastes tons of produce simply because there are few facilities or companies involved in packaging. I noted that in travels to the US, Europe and other countries including Caribbean countries like Jamaica, food was being packaged and distributed locally. Simple things like dried fruit were available and sourced from local producers. Why could we not do the same?

The other area of potential economic impact is fisheries. Fishing is something we do naturally, and other countries pillage our resources on a regular basis. Why can’t we help our economic situation by increasing the level of production, packaging and export of our fisheries resources? Perhaps, we should look at these options unless there is some data missing that would indicate the hemp industry is more promising than what is alluded to in the Forbes Magazine article. I will end with a paraphrase of the words of Jesus where he stated, “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?”

What does it profit a country if we pursue something for monetary gain and lose the soul, lives and mental health of many of our people in the process? You be the judge.

• Pastor Dave Burrows is senior pastor at Bahamas Faith Ministries International. Feel free to email comments, whether you agree or disagree, to pastordaveburrows@hotmail.com. I appreciate your input and dialogue. We become better when we discuss, examine and exchange.

The post Are hemp and marijuana viable and net beneficial to The Bahamas? appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/are-hemp-and-marijuana-viable-and-net-beneficial-to-the-bahamas/

We must look to the cross for our salvation

“For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.

“Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator – who is forever praised. Amen.

“Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.

“Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.” 

– Romans 3:21-28

Last Sunday, we celebrated Reformation Sunday. The Reformation came about after Martin Luther, a Catholic priest and a professor of theology, posted his famous Ninety-five Thesis on the chapel door at Wittenberg, Germany, on October 31, 1517.

Luther was concerned that the church was going in the wrong direction, especially with regards to salvation. At the time, the church was teaching that God’s forgiveness of sins could be purchased with money.

This troubled Luther, who was subsequently guided by God’s word. Scripture tells us that salvation does not come through works or good deeds but is a gift of God’s grace, through faith in Jesus Christ who redeemed us from our sin.

There are still many in our world today who continue to try to earn and deserve God’s favor. They seek that which cannot be earned. They seek that which they already have.

In Christ Jesus we all have been justified as righteous in the sight of God. Jesus’ work at Calvary is God’s guarantee of salvation for humanity. No one can take that away from us. We are to look to the cross for our salvation.

The church of the Reformation era felt they could save themselves or that their earthly situation could save them. However, the apostle tells us in the above text, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith”.

While the law shows us our sins, the law cannot make us righteous with God. Only God can make us righteous. This righteousness comes from Jesus Christ to all who believes.

Yes, we must look to the cross for our salvation.

Luther was restless and confused about his God, whom he considered to be angry with him. However, upon reading and studying the word of the apostle, Luther found relief.

For the first time in his life, he realized that his righteousness was a gift from God through Jesus Christ. He had nothing to do with his salvation. He was trying to do what had already been done for him on the cross of Calvary. Christ made him free.

The Israelites of the Old Testament church looked to the coming Messiah for their redemption. The Jews of the New Testament church had to rely upon the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, Jesus Christ, the same Messiah, for salvation.

The church of the Reformation era had to rely upon the Son of God, Jesus the Christ, for redemption.

We who are removed 503 years from the Reformation look to the same Jesus, the Lamb of God, to redeem us. Yes, Jesus has already paid the penalty for our sins. Amen.

 • Rev. Samuel M. Boodle, pastor at The Lutheran Church of Nassau, 119 John F. Kennedy Drive, can be reached at P.O. Box N 4794, Nassau, Bahamas; or telephone: 426-9084; E-mail: lutheranchurch@coralwave.com; website: https://ift.tt/1mHrNzy. 

The post We must look to the cross for our salvation appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/we-must-look-to-the-cross-for-our-salvation/

‘The Fireman’ calls for more facilities

Bahamian Olympian Chris “The Fireman” Brown is calling on all stakeholders to ensure that there are more track and field facilities and stadiums throughout the country in hopes of better performances on the world stage.

Brown shared those sentiments while he was a guest on popular morning talk show “Morning Blend” with host Dwight Strachan on Guardian Radio 96.9FM Wednesday morning.

“I have been preaching this same story for the last 20 years – that we need more stadiums and tracks. Even at some of the high schools, you can barely find a track in the high schools. I would say that if [we] were to start some type of initiative where we have a fund put aside for it, I think more people would be giving, especially the alumni who are doing well now. It is about getting the ball rolling and once the ball starts rolling, persons are going to chip in. Most persons don’t want to do something until it is moving.”

The Eleuthera native said he does not want to sound insensitive as he knows that it is tough with the COVID-19 pandemic, but he wants Bahamians to continue to strive for their best.

“There needs to be more sports development and there needs to be more incentives for the coaches, especially those in The Bahamas who work diligently to get our kids motivated. We are still sharing one track and still in a time where we use one stadium,” Brown said.

“We need to find new ways to spread it out throughout the country in places like Eleuthera, Abaco and Andros. We have some of the best talent coming from the islands and  you cannot find a proper track and facility to even use, which is ludicrous.”

The 400 meters sprint specialist said that going forward, he thinks that track and field needs someone who is going to care about the sport.

“…Someone who is really going to share that interest and that passion to be able to spread it out. I have been in the game for a while and I have seen so many different sports ministers in there,” Brown stated.

He is now the head coach at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II level for Clayton State University in Morrow, Georgia. He took a break to give his body some rest and has been working at making the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games for Team Bahamas. The meet has since been postponed to Summer 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It will still be held in Tokyo, Japan.

“I gave my body two years of rest after competing for 16 or 17 years. In 2017 and 2018, I decided to take off after the 2016 Rio Olympics to give my body some rest because I have been going for so long. I am hungry, excited and yearning for competitions. It does not feel like age is a factor because I am still able to get my workouts and meet the times that I need to meet,” Brown said.

Brown has won medals on four different 4x400m relay teams and was the flagbearer at the 2012 London Olympic Games. He won one gold medal at those same Olympic Games and one silver medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. His two bronze medals came at the 2018 Beijing Olympic Games and the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

He is able to keep up with his competitors. Until he feels like his body is starting to breakdown or injuries are knocking at his door then he will not push any further. Unlike other persons who put a number on their career or in their live, Brown said he doesn’t put a number on anything. He said he will stop when God gives him the red light.

He will not be going after the 400m individual sprint race but rather, he is looking at the 4x400m relays. Brown wants to ensure that the country wins another medal in that event as they have won a medal in that event every Olympic Games since 2000 with the exception of 2004.

“Right now, I will say that the team is a bit scattered,” Brown said. “There haven’t been a solid leader on the team to lead the guys and get them motivated. That was my role for the last 16 or 17 years and when I left the team for a while, I left with it. No one picked up the baton so once the leadership gets back in order, I speak to the guys on a regular and they have said they are training and getting ready so let’s see what happens.”

He thinks that the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games will get underway next year even if it means no spectators and if there are spectators, there will be stringent testing and protocols.

Brown said at first when the virus hit this region back in March, persons had little knowledge of how to deal with the virus. Now people know how to plan for it. At Clayton, they have social distancing, temperature checks when he goes to work and also the student-athletes. They are also required to wear masks. His team is out practicing everyday and some students are doing face-to-face learning with a certain limit.

After the Olympic Games next year, Brown said that what he does after will be determined by God’s guidance. That can mean more coaching or anything else. If God’s plans includes him coming home and helping to lead the country, then he will be open to it.

For now, the Eleuthera native will keep on training for the Olympic Games while he is at Clayton coaching.

The post ‘The Fireman’ calls for more facilities appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/the-fireman-calls-for-more-facilities/

Sunrise Academy retires Hield’s jersey

It was an emotional night for the 6’4” Sacramento Kings shooting guard Chavano “Buddy” Hield, as he returned to his alma mater, Sunrise Christian Academy, to retire his number 24 high school jersey this past Saturday in Bel Aire, Kansas.

Before the Grand Bahamian became a household name for the University of Oklahoma Sooners and as one of the most lethal shooters in the National Basketball Association (NBA), Hield was a staple for the Sunrise Christian Academy Buffaloes from 2010 to 2012.

Coming from humble beginnings, he reflected on his journey from Grand Bahama to Bel Aire – a place he called home.

“Who would have thought 10 years later I’d come back to Sunrise and get my jersey retired. Sounds crazy, but it’s a blessing to be here. This is home; every time I come, it’s always home,” Hield said at Sunrise’s “Sunrise Madness”.

In his senior season for the Buffaloes, he averaged 22.7 points, four rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.3 steals per game. His team finished with a 24-4 win-loss record. He was ranked as the 17th-best shooting guard in the country.

The shooting guard led his Buffaloes to a National Association of Christian Athletes national championship in 2012 where he was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player (MVP).

He thanked coach Kyle Linstead who was the coach at the time that saw Hield at a basketball camp in Grand Bahama back in 2010. He also thanked founder of Sunrise, Robert Linstead, and current coach, Luke Barnwell, and the Sunrise school community for helping him on the path that he is on.

“Buddy came here as kind of an unknown,” Barnwell said. “He was an unheralded prospect, and he says that he wasn’t even the best player on the island when he came here. But he got an opportunity to work on something he always dreamed of and I think he feels strongly that without Sunrise, (his success) wouldn’t have happened. I think when you see him emotional like that, it’s because he’s very grateful to the people who were invested in his life.”

Hield is the first Buffaloes alumni to have his jersey retired and Barnwell said the former Jack Hayward High School student-athlete is deserving of the honor.

“There’s nobody that embodies what I think Sunrise basketball is about than Buddy,” Barnwell said. “What coach (Kyle) Lindstead started was about maximizing the best version of yourself, while pursuing growth, character and faith. Buddy is all of that. He is so deserving of this and it was a no-brainer for us because it was the right thing to do.”

Speaking to a full gym, that included the NBA Rookie of the Year Memphis Grizzlies Ja Morant, Hield said: “If I had to do it all over again, I would come back here.”

After playing for the Buffaloes, Hield went on to play for the Sooners for four seasons (2012-2016). While at the Sooners he went from starting 13 out of 27 games in his freshman year to starting all the games he played in from his sophomore year to junior year. His senior year was his best collegiate year as he averaged 25 points and five rebounds a game. He shot 50.1 percent from the field including a whopping 45.7 percent from deep. He made 147 three-pointers that season to make the most three-pointers made in Sooners history with 349.

The All-American was named the winner of the 2016 Wooden Award, Naismith Trophy and Oscar Robertson Trophy as the National Player of the Year. He was named Big 12 Conference Player of the Year in 2015 and 2016.

After his senior year, he was drafted sixth overall in the 2016 NBA Draft by the New Orleans Pelicans. He was traded to the Sacramento Kings that same season and has become one of the most dangerous players on the perimeter. He is the reigning Mountain Dew Three-Point contest champion.

Last season he signed a four-year/$86 million contract extension that kicks in this upcoming season.

The Buffaloes are no strangers when it comes to recruiting players from The Bahamas. Other than Hield, other Bahamians who have passed through the program were Lourawls “Tum Tum” Nairn Jr., Charles Bain, Radshad Davis, Travis Munnings, Nathan Bain, Shackeel Butters, Godfrey Rolle and Andre Sands to name a few.

The post Sunrise Academy retires Hield’s jersey appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/sunrise-academy-retires-hields-jersey/

Prepare to be shocked and awed

Forget the image you may have of Ericka “Lady E” Symonette, and who you haven’t seen for the year – not even on social media – because come the new year, she said to be prepared for a new-look, rebranded artist.

Symonette has taken the forced COVID-19 downtime and used it positively to re-evaluate herself and her brand. She said people should make ready to be shocked and awed when she debuts her new wardrobe and new music.

“Lady E got a waistline I didn’t even know existed,” the singer/songwriter told The Nassau Guardian. “I’ve been on a fitness and self-enlightenment journey that I never had time for before. I went from working out not at all, to twice-a-day workouts. When you see me back on stage, I will have a little more whine…a little more jook – and at age 40, you have to look damned good,” said Symonette.

“One of my inspirations has been another local lady, because she was also a fluffy woman…and we’re proud of our fluff, but when you’re big it’s based off bad eating habits. I changed my habits, and have been working out.”

The COVID-19 downtime has also afforded her the opportunity to pen a number of songs – singles she is in the process of recording. She has recorded one of the six songs so far with producer Rik Carey of C Sharp Production Ltd. and expects to have the remainder of her recordings completed before Christmas for a 2021 blitz.

She’s storing songs to be released next year.

While not wanting to release too much information about the single, she said the sound is a “hybrid” that she worked on with Carey, whom she described as a talented producer with a unique sound. Symonette said the singles will be something to look forward to in the new year, but people should remember that when she writes her music, it’s like baring her soul.

“It doesn’t make sense as an artist to put anything out there right now, because you can’t market. I’m going to come out the gate with five songs that I will be introducing systematically because I like to do the entire packaging with music videos,” she said.

“In The Bahamas, we make monies off performances and Bahamian entertainers depend heavily on functions, party events. Everything is quiet… Twenty-twenty has been hard,” said Symonette.

Since the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in The Bahamas on March 15, the only event she received a call about doing was the virtual Independence Day celebration. All the festivals and regattas she was booked for were shut down due to the pandemic.

Symonette said she made use of a negative circumstance and ensured it was a positive for her.

She believes negativity brings negativity. And that people should be using the COVID-19 downtime to make it about building up and not breaking down.

“I thought about things I wanted to improve, and my body was one of them, and I spent a lot of time with my child,” she said.

Symonette said she gives God thanks she has a job and can make her mortgage payments.

An air traffic controller by profession, taking to the stage satisfies Symonette’s soul. And at the same token, she is happy she is not financially dependent on industry gigs, with entertainment at a standstill.

When Symonette first started in the industry, she had thoughts of wanting to be like powerhouse entertainers Trinidadian soca artist Destra Garcia; or British-born, Barbados-based soca artist Alison Hinds; or her Bahamian role models – T’Rez Hepburn (deceased), Emily “Sweet Emily” Austin and Maureen Duvalier, whom she never met but listened to on the radio and whom she describes as a pioneer in her own right. On the male side of things, her role models, she said, include the likes of Ronnie Butler, deceased, and Dillon “D-Mac” McKenzie.

But Symonette is at the point where she is a fan of sounding like herself, and nobody else.

“Why spend your life…your short time on this earth trying to sound like everybody else? Just being yourself is enough,” she said.

“I want to be the Bahamian superstar that I know that I am. I want to be able to reach young people and encourage more young people to be unique and themselves. I know that I’m not the Whitney Houston or Mariah Carey of The Bahamas – but I write my own music and co-produce my own music, so I own it lock, stock and barrel. Royalties are paid to me, and when I die, my royalties will go to my child.”

Before her Lady E alter ego made her presence known, Symonette said, she grew up in a non-musical/entertaining family. She said it was more of a strict, matriarchal society in which her mom, Claudette Nixon, worked a lot, and she was raised by her grandmother, Alma Williams.

Symonette remembers spending a lot of time on the porch entertaining herself and of receiving toy keyboards for Christmas on which to tinker. Her only outlet was attending church, so she joined the church choir, then her school choir, before eventually joining the Bahamas National Youth Choir, which allowed her to see the world.

The entertainer in her was dying to get out. When it did, she said, she caught a lot of flak from her family.

“They wanted me to stay in church and sing in church – because who comes home after 10 [at night]?”

But in those early days, she said, the only studio time available to her was late night, after everyone else was done.

Her mom is now her biggest fan.

When she embarked on her solo career, Symonette started out doing background vocals for the likes of Ronnie Butler, Fred Ferguson (Cacique Awards), Sweet Emily, T’rez Hepburn, Ira Storr and Colin McDonald among countless others.

In 2016, she was dubbed the original Bahamian road fever queen after capturing the Music Masters competition at Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival. And no one could put the lid back on the passion she has for music and entertaining.

“I think that when you come on this earth you have a particular purpose and a job to do – and when you meet up with your purpose, it’s easier to do whereas other people find it hard and tedious. That’s how you know you’re in your purpose. I like music because music completes me.”

Symonette even confesses to having dreams about the stage.

But she ensures she doesn’t live in “la-la land” when it comes to the business side of things. She stands her ground for what she believes and what is fair.

“As a female in the industry, I feel as though people often mistake strength for bitchy when you’re really being protective, and when if you’re a man they would say he’s guarded. In the industry, you will have some people who will try to blackball you and make you feel insignificant – no matter what, your talent will always carry you.”

As the pandemic rages on, Symonette encourages people to stay strong, be humble and recognize God in this time.

“This is a time to really reflect on who we are, and this too shall pass. Don’t be discouraged; look at a door closing as another being a greater opportunity.”

Looking ahead to 2021, she sees it as her year to be an ambassador and to engage in lots of travel. But right now, she said she’s being patient.

“Yes, things are bad, but you have to be smart with your move and making decisions.”

She also encourages people to surround themselves with positive people and to be realistic.

“A lot of people haven’t woken up to we’re in a pandemic and we have to be safe,” she said.

The post Prepare to be shocked and awed appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/prepare-to-be-shocked-and-awed/

‘Enough is enough’

Retailers yesterday stated that “enough is enough” when it comes to being restricted to curbside operations only, with many saying if they are not allowed to resume normal operations come November 1, they cannot afford to clear new inventory that has been ordered for the critical upcoming holiday shopping period.

The Bahamas Federation of Retailers (BFR) stressed that its one-hundred-plus members “must be permitted to open to the public by November 1”, noting that curbside – under which all businesses except food stores have been in operation since the beginning of October – only represents 15 percent or less of sales.

“Outside of retailers who cater to the tourism market, most of our members have found that while allowed to open they are at least able to cover their operating costs and keep staff members employed. However, after being either shut down or only permitted to operate online/curbside for five out of the last eight months, retailers were relying on the November 1 reopening date to generate much-needed income during the upcoming holiday season in order to avoid bankruptcy and further layoffs,” the federation noted in a statement yesterday.

“Many retailers committed to orders based on the prime minister’s promise of ‘no more lockdowns’ in early September. However, in addition to the obligations faced by all businesses such as electricity bills, rent, payroll, internet, etc they now find themselves with insufficient cash flow to clear these shipments, meaning that they cannot even outfit their stores with the requisite inventory to sustain seasonal turnover. These measures are choking the local economy and exporting our Bahamian dollars abroad.”

Last week, while revealing the Economic Recovery Committee’s (ERC) plan to rebound the economy, Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis said he was disappointed that some major retailers had not incorporated more e-commerce into their models and moved toward online sales.

Retailers said this was an affront to their efforts to find creative ways to survive in such difficult times and called for a nationwide dialogue to address the barriers toward innovation.

“Recently there have been comments in the press expressing disappointment over the failure of some businesses to switch to an online sales format. In fact, we find that many of our members have innovated to try and find creative ways to service their customers during this time, from WhatsApp video appointments to ‘store tours’ via social media. However, it is not so easy as simply fliping a switch to convert your business to an online format. The logistics to integrate your point-of-sale software to become multi-channel requires time and a significant upfront investment,” the BFR stated.

“The many hurdles to the ease of doing business in The Bahamas make it that much more difficult here. Just to name a few, the lack of a stable power source, no functioning postal service, unstable internet connection and unreliable phone service are critical challenges to the development of any online business. Furthermore, our members have frequently cited many hurdles faced when trying to integrate a digital payment platform here, given the challenges associated with e-commerce options at the local commercial banks.”

After four months of complete shutdown, retailers were allowed to finally reopen in June, enforcing strict health and safety protocols, but following a spike in COVID-19 cases the prime minister reimplemented business restrictions and tightened the national curfew at the start of this month.

Pointing to data that showed even the largest companies in the United States have found it difficult to pivot their business to a wholly online platform, the BFR stated that remaining under the curbside and online restrictions are unsustainable.

“For instance, even after their online sales doubled due to COVID-19, Home Depot, a company with over a $300 billion market capitalization, has e-commerce sales equating to just 15 percent of their overall revenue,” the retailers’ advocate group pointed out.

“Local businesses that have the resources have worked tirelessly to launch an online platform since COVID-19 first hit our shores back in March, however even when they do, 15 percent of anyone’s business is still not enough to sustain current operating expenses and overhead. The math just does not add up if the government is going to take the economic threat of lockdowns and curbside restrictions seriously.”

BFR stated that retailers are asking the government to respect the fiscal reality of businesses and their employees by simply allowing the rest of the retail sector to operate as the grocery stores are allowed to, following the protocols put in place.

“Retailers in all categories are more than capable of conducting business responsibly given the new normal. However, enough is enough. These restrictions and lockdowns disproportionately impact the blue collar workers of this nation that do not have the luxury of working from home as other white collar positions in an office job may afford. The fact of the matter is over 20,000 jobs are on the line now,” the statement pointed out.

“That’s 20,000 families. We ask that the policies being contemplated have a heart and a soul. We have remained stagnant for too long and as we all know, COVID-19 will be around well beyond 2020. It is the policies of this nation that will allow it to carry on or not. We need to work together to forge the path forward.”

The post ‘Enough is enough’ appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/enough-is-enough/

Stewart: Reopening of Sandals resorts based on demand

While Sandals Resorts International has pegged February 1, 2021 for the reopening of Sandals Royal Bahamian, the Caribbean hotel chain’s Deputy Chairman Adam Stewart contended the date could change based on demand, which he said has been increasing.

Stewart, who was a guest at The Counsellors Limited’s Exuma Business Outlook yesterday, also revealed that the reason resorts in The Bahamas are slated to open much later than Sandals’ other properties is that the reopening direction of the countries where those properties are domiciled was clear, while The Bahamas continues with on and off lockdowns and curfews.

“The reason we have been able to open other hotels first is not for a lack of love for our beautiful relationship with The Bahamas, it was just clearer earlier in the other countries,” Stewart said.

“With each one of those lockdowns, the fact is that every action has an equal reaction. It’s created confusion in the marketplace and other countries like the Dominican Republic and Mexico have decided just to open their borders and they’ve gotten ahead. 

“Right now we’re looking at reopening based on the demand that we’re seeing right now.”

Stewart suggested that demand has been slow for properties on Exuma and New Providence, but like the Ministry of Tourism and Aviation, he said he believes the U.S. presidential elections are partly to blame for a slowdown in demand.

He added that there are also those who continue to be nervous about travel during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The U.S. election is hindering and getting in the way of tourism at large. It’s a very normal thing, but this year is a little more chaotic than traditional years,” Stewart said.

“There are people out there who are fearful of travel. They are becoming less and less, but they exist. There are others who want to get on with life, they want to put on their masks, observe the protocols and get going.

“All of that builds up to a place where the date that we have now is February 1st, but I would say to you, don’t hold on to it, because it moves week to week as demand starts to build. We have seen increased demand in the last couple of weeks.

“I’m hoping that we’re going to see an accelerated demand after next week’s election. The Bahamas is the shortest distance to go of any Caribbean destination and I think that’s going to favor well for us.”

Stewart empathized with resorts owners’ hesitation to announce opening dates or to open too soon, explaining that The Bahamas is a high cost destination where you have to be sure that you will at least break even, especially with banks being nervous about lending in the midst of an uncertain tourism economy.

The post Stewart: Reopening of Sandals resorts based on demand appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/stewart-reopening-of-sandals-resorts-based-on-demand/

Daxton D’Von Bethell

Daxton D’Von Bethell, aged 43, died at Doctors Hospital on Wednesday, October 14^th, 2020.

He is survived by his Mother: Glenice Thompson; Sister: Peteche’ Bethell; Brother: Damian Bethell; Aunts: Colene Parker, Winifred Russell and Dr. Eleanor Thompson; Uncles: Vaughn, Charles, Cyril, Sidney, Brian and Rev. Colyn Thompson, Peter Bowe and Neville Davis; and a host of other relatives and friends.

Funeral will be announced at a later date.

The post Daxton D’Von Bethell appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/daxton-dvon-bethell/

Marina Knowles

Marina Knowles, aged 54, of Bullocks Harbour, Berry Islands, died at The Princess Margaret Hospital on Wednesday, October 21^st, 2020.

She is survived by her Husband: Neville Knowles;  Daughters: Holly Knowles-Brennen and Latice Knowles-Penn; Son: Neville Knowles Jr.; Parents: Asa and Gelena Moss; Grand Children: Erison, Erinque and Erance Brennen, Chase and Arius Penn, Skye and Navari Knowles; Sisters: Betty Benoit, Rochelle Rahming and Eulean Moss; Brothers: Emmanuel (Junior) and Nelson Moss; Aunts: Claudine Virgil, Mary Deleveaux, Sheila Collie and Evelyn Knowles; Uncles: Rev. Lockwood, Rev. Randolph, Rev. Jeffrey, Ivan, Elvis and Ricardo Deleveaux; and a host of other relatives and friends.

Funeral will be announced at a later date.

The post Marina Knowles appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/marina-knowles/

Retired Superintendent of Police Richard Kendall Rahming II

Retired Superintendent of Police Richard Kendall Rahming II, aged 82, of Step Street, Fox Hill, died on Wednesday, October 21^st, 2020.

He is survived by his Sons: Richard K. Rahming III & Ricardo K. Rahming; Daughter: Richardette K. Pintard; Daughter-in-law: Karen N. Rahming; Son-in-Law: Dr. Louis J. Pintard; Grand Children: Brittney K. T. Rahming; Brandon K. T. Rahming & Kai J. Pintard; and a host of other relatives and friends.

The post Retired Superintendent of Police Richard Kendall Rahming II appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/retired-superintendent-of-police-richard-kendall-rahming-ii/

Sidney K. Whitfield

Sidney K. Whitfield, aged 93, of Nelson Street, Blair Estate, died on Sunday, October 25^th, 2020.

He is survived by his Wife: Luella Whitfield; Sister: Audrey Fountain; and a host of other relatives and friends.

Funeral will be announced at a later date.

The post Sidney K. Whitfield appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/sidney-k-whitfield/

Henry Alfred Coakley

Private service for the late Henry Alfred Coakley age 60 years of Coral Island, Abaco and formerly of Strachan Corner, East Street and Pigeon Plum Avenue, Pinewood Gardens will be held on Friday, 30^th October, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. at Southern Cemetery Spikenard & Cowpen Roads. Officiating: Pastor Donald W. Dorsett assisted by other Minister of the Gospel.

Due to the Government Orders and related restrictions placed on funerals, attendance is limited to (10) family members. The family apologizes for any inconvenienced caused. Everyone in attendance must wear a mask covering the nose and mouth. Six feet physical distancing is required at all time.

To cherish fond memories are his Wife: Miriam Strachan Coakley; Step Children: Rennay and Reynold Russell; Grandson: Damien Coakley; Sisters: Jacqucline of (Plant City Florida) & Mrs. Paulette Clarke; Brothers: Fredrick, Alexander, Wellington & Minister Wendell Coakley; Sisters in-law: Gwen, Julia Coakley & Manetta Smith; Aunts: Warfield Wallace, Beryl Wallace, Every Wallace Brown and Jenny Wallace; Brother-in-law: Edmund Clarke; Uncle: Aubrey Tucker; Nieces: Lynette Coakley Carter, Ketura Prince, Diana Prince, Syria Coakley, Ekmia Coakley; Nephews: Michael Prince, Wendell Coakley, Rashad; Grandnephews: Ramon Coakley, Rashad Coakley, Rayann Coakley, Bryanna Sands & Davoute Bain; Nephew-in-law: Delrick Carter; Cousins: Bernadette, Georgette, Aubrey Jr., Aubrece, Maxine, Monquie, Fiona, Allenal, Debbie, Randon, Sydney, Glyris, Van, Nadia, Patrick, Tyrone, Quentin, Swade, Alvin, Swarn and Mizpah; Other Relatives and Friends: Paul Miller & Family, Roderick Strachan & Family (Abaco), Ruby Rolle & Family (Abaco), Creta Strachan & Family (Abaco), Courtney Chandler and Melody Strachan, Herbert Strachan, Dominic Strachan, Sean Strachan, Mrs. Stephanie & Woody Barnett, Mrs. Mizpah Robinson & Family, Mrs. Barbara, Farquarson, Miriam Strachan Coakley, Miss Margo Ramsey, Marisha Russell & Sheryl Strachan, Mrs. Delsha Culmer, Mrs. Miriam Nairn, Miss Michelle Sweeting, Mrs. Emily Young, Miss Marry Wilson, Miss Jennifer Delancey, Mrs. Ingrid Williams McKinney, Miss Kimberly Wells, Mrs. Jacquince Johnson, Mr. Bill Smith & Family, Mrs. Bertheria Pickstock, Mrs. Barbara Farqurson & Family, Jerome Coakley, Mriam Ellis, The Strachan Family (Strachan Corner), The Gray Family (Strachan Corner), Mackey Family, Bethell Family, Strachan Corner Crew, Thompson Lane Crew, Fritz Lane Crew, The Lundy Family, Robert Henderson & Family, George Henderson & Family, Kimsley Ferguson President Bahamas Public Service Union, Gary Edgecombe, Timothy Munroe, Kirk Campbell, Tyrone Farrington, Keva Wright, Patricia Francis, Ricardo Gubba Davis, Miss Christine Dean, Miss Jan Mortimer, Mrs Sharon Nottage, Nurse Ivy Mills Marsh Habour (Abaco), Marsh Habour Clinic Doctors and Nurses (Abaco), Marsh Harbor Police Department, Department of Environmental Health, Marsh Habour (Abaco and Nassau Office), the Pinewood Gardens Community, Retired Assistant Commissioner of Police Caroline Bowe, Superintendent Robert Simmons, Sargent Maria Pennerman, Sargent Gina Pratt, Sargent Inez Miller, Wolsee Construction Company, Ms. Jane Dean & Family, Ms. Jean Brown & Family, Ms. Stephanie Walker & Family and many others too numerous too mention

MAY HIS SOUL REST IN PEACE!

Viewing will be held in the “Celestial Suite” at Restview Memorial Mortuary and Crematorium Ltd., Robinson and Solider Road on Thursday TODAY) from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.

The post Henry Alfred Coakley appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/henry-alfred-coakley-2/

Sadé Athura Edwards

Last rites for Sadé Athura Edwards, aged 33 of #6 Mahogany St. Pinewood Gardens will be held on Friday 30^th October, 202 at 11:00AM at the graveside at Woodlawn Gardens, Soldier Road. Officiating will be Bishop James Newry, assisted by other Ministers of the Gospel.

She is survived by her devoted parents: Rev. Arthur and Dec. Coral Edwards. Her loving sister: Corbria Edwards. Her loving brother: Kevin Edwards Sr. (Tiffany). Her Niece and nephew: Gabrielle and Kevin Edwards Jr.  Her Grandmother: Dec. Sylvia Strachan. Her Aunts: Margaret Symonette of Indiana USA,  Arthurlue Rahming (Dr. Eliston), Yvonne Pearson, Rev. Bobbie Knowles of Miami Florida, Merlie Rahming of Morgan’s Bluff Andros and Francis Woodside. Her uncles: Joseph, Alexander, Mervin (Dec. Sandra), Drexel (Michelle), Larry (Sherry), Vincent and Barry Rahming, Rev. Wellington Wallace (Linda), Gary Symonette and Randy Curtis. Her devoted and loving cousins: Brenda Rae (Richard), Lesley Osazuwa (Dr. Charles), Simone Gia Adewakun (Omotara), Gerard Pearson, Stephan Symonette, Brent Conyers (Shakera), Nina Knowles, Faith Rae, Alexis and Carlos Osazuwa, Maui, Zen and Lux Adewakun, Stephan Jr., Simone, Skye and Anthony Symonette, Anfernee and Grace Conyers and Karter Lamb, Christie Knowles IV, Joan Higgs and family, Linda Symonette, Kathy Leach, Greer Bain and Kirk Ingraham. Carolyn Rahming-Moxey, Mel Minus-Smith, Police Sergeant 336 Kermit Minus (Tanya), Woman Police Reserve Constable 772 Shcanla Rahming-Todd (Beaumont), Yvonne Harvey (Bernard), Stephen Miller, Lettanne Johnson (Lorenzo), Catherine, Larvick, Tanya Evans-Mason (Kevin), Shawn (Tangler), Alma, Anthony, Lakeisha, Ricardo, Roston, Raymond (Alexia), Dorothia, Alexander Jr., Drexel Jr, Dexter, Dominique, Destinique, Mervin Jr., Tammy, Quinton, Shericka, Rashad and Barringtino Rahming, Tamara McQueen, Larissa Rahming-Walker (Tracey), Lashan Rahming-Rolle (Harold), Deandra Rahming-Major (Geronimo), Alecia Roberts, Alexis Sturrup, Keano Smith, Kendra Sweeting, Kenvatta Cox, Una and Uranda Curtis. Her God parents: Prince and Zylpha Mackey, Min. Mary Rolle, Judith Hamilton, Min. Zorabelle Pinder and Rocetta Duncombe. Many adopted aunts and uncles: Angela Rolle, Fr. Roland and Ramona Hamilton, Philip and Ismae Sands, Hon. Darren and Deidre Henfield, Geoff and Bernadette Hanna, Jackie and Myra Rodgers, Joseph and Debbie Russell, George and Ronnette Watkins, Pas. Bradick and Briquelle Cleare, Rosco  and Theresa Black, Lanza and Hope Miller, Supt. Roderick and Deborah McKenzie, Supt. Rodney and Vistna Williams, Beverly Marshal, Londa Taylor, Marquell Culmer and Janet Sturrup. Other relatives and friends including: Bishop James and Elder Queenie Newry and family, Bishop and Elder VG Clarke and family, Children and family of the late Bishop Clarence and Bishop William Rahming,  Devante Miller and family, Gloria Miller and family, Pastor Troy and Sophia Miller and the Mount Pisgah Church Family, the entire Conch Sound Andros family, the entire Calvary Deliverance Church Family, the entire Dept. of Public Health Pharmacy family, The Bahamas Down Syndrome and Friends Center family, Supt. Osbourne and Eleanor Davis and family, Anita Miller and family, the entire Mahogany Street family, D’asmine Brown and family, Denicia Aranha and family, Demetri Bowe and family and a host of others too numerous to mention.

The body will repose at Curtis Memorial Mortuary on Thursday from 10:00AM to 5:00PM.

SOCIAL DISTANCING WILL BE STRICTLY ENFORCED.

The post Sadé Athura Edwards appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/sade-athura-edwards-2/

Fulfilling a desire to serve

Owyn J. Ferguson is in for the experience of a lifetime.

Ferguson is in the final stages of preparation to travel to Israel as a member of the Saint John’s Benedictine Volunteer Corps (SJBVC), where he will serve 12 months of volunteer service at Tabgha Monastery, in Tabgha, Israel, to participate in the monastic life of the community.

Ferguson and other volunteers will be responsible for keeping Biet Noah running on a daily basis – this includes welcoming and serving guests, cleaning, repair and maintenance work, gardening, cooking for the community and construction projects for the retreat house, monastery and church.

The Benedictine Volunteer Corps (BVC) of Saint John’s Abbey, Collegeville, Minnesota, exists to provide a year of volunteer service for graduates of Saint John’s University, Minnesota, at a monastery of the worldwide Benedictine confederation and to support the work, prayer and life of Benedictine monasteries around the world. The BVC has sent over 170 men to 26 Benedictine monasteries around the world.

“My reason for doing the program, in general, is that through the last couple of summers working in corporate citizenship, I really just gained an appreciation for the citizenship part of corporate, and I thought that a volunteer experience would be very humbling, and give me an appreciation and recognition for dignity in all types of work and all types of people, and that’s why I wanted to do a volunteer program.”

Ferguson, who is awaiting his travel visa, is expected to arrive in Israel between November 7 and 19.

He said he chose to serve in Israel because of the service the monastery offers.

Tabgha Monastery is a dependent priory of Dormition Abbey and is located on the Sea of Galilee. The mission of the monastery is to be caretakers of the Church of the Multiplication of Loaves and Fishes, and to run the retreat house Beit Noah.

Ferguson will be living at a site in Tabgha where roughly 5,000 pilgrims visit every day during peak season. Overnight guests are welcome to stay in the retreat compound and pray with the monastic community.

“The reason I picked Israel in particular is because of the service that the monastery there does as a guest house for traveling pilgrims, so I would be able to meet people from all over the world, of all different religions, as well as a retreat center for persons with disabilities, which is a group of people I’ve never had a chance to work with before, and in addition to that, the monastery is like on the Sea of Galilee, which I think spiritually is something pretty significant, and powerful.”

SJBVC volunteers like Ferguson work for the retreat initiative Beit Noah, which services handicapped Jewish, Christian and Muslim children from throughout the Holy Land.

He will also be provided with food, lodging, laundry facilities, access to local transportation and other basic needs. Saint John’s Abbey will provide him with a $350 monthly stipend that is considered adequate to cover a volunteer’s personal needs, entertainment and vacation.

Benedictine volunteers are discouraged from relying on additional resources from family to supplement their monthly stipend; an exception may be made in the case of travel for enrichment and vacation.

SJBVC organizers said it is important that Benedictine volunteers have ample time to learn about and experience the countries where they serve and have time to renew themselves during the year of service. The corps considers three weeks away from the monastery, in a 12-month commitment, an appropriate length of time for vacation, discovery and renewal.

Ferguson will be expected to work no less than 30 but no more than 40 hours per week during the time of his service. Time in prayer is considered part of the calculation. The expectation to participate in two prayer services of the monastic community each weekday, with one of the prayer services being a morning service, is a non-negotiable part of the commitment of a Benedictine volunteer.

Ferguson is late in getting his year of volunteerism started, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the first case of which was reported by officials in Wuhan City, China, in December 2019.

On January 20, 2020, the first known case of COVID-19 was confirmed in the United States, in the Pacific Northwest state of Washington, in a man who had returned from Wuhan on January 15.

On January 30, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.

To prepare for his year of service, Ferguson and other Benedictine volunteers participated in a two-week retreat that began the day after their college graduation in May.

Due to COVID-19 precautions, some host monasteries are not able to accept volunteers, and most volunteers are currently living, working and praying with the monks at Saint John’s Abbey.

While the start to Ferguson’s volunteer year was put on hold for months due to worldwide travel restrictions, the Vatican sent a travel exemption request for Ferguson and two other volunteers who will be going to Israel, as some sites began accepting volunteers once travel restrictions were lifted.

He returned home for two weeks before heading out.

“I am very excited,” said Ferguson. “I was pretty nervous at first, just because it is in the Middle East, but I do think that the reward that can come out of this is worth it. Also, that particular city – Tabgha – in Israel, is considered one of the safest places in the world. I think a lot of people just have respect for it.”

The northwestern corner of the Sea of Galilee where Ferguson will be living, was one of the focal points in Jesus’ ministry. According to the SJBVC site, many of the archeological sites surrounding the Sea of Galilee suggest that Judaism and early Christianity existed alongside each other before they developed into two separate religions. Evidence for this initial coexistence can be gathered from archeological sites in Tiberias, Magdala, Capernaum, Bethsaida and Tabgha, which sits in the midst of all these sacred sites.

The site notes that at the end of the fourth century AD, Spanish nun and pilgrim Egeria traveled to the Holy Land and recorded her impressions and experiences in detail. Her report mentions a small church built over the rock, where “the Lord fed the multitude with five loaves and two fish”. In the fifth century, the small Syriac church was replaced with a much larger and more elaborate Byzantine structure, it is said, possibly to accommodate the rising number of visitors. This church contains the beautiful mosaics depicting animals and plants as well as geometric figures, all of which contribute greatly to the splendor and charm of today’s Church of the Multiplication of Loaves and Fishes.

At the end of his service, Ferguson will also have to participate in a re-entry retreat that is usually scheduled for mid-July after the time of service. A chapter reunion retreat is scheduled for late-December, following the year of service.

The cost for sending a Benedictine volunteer for a year of service is close to $15,000 a year, which covers administration expenses, travel, food, lodging and stipend.

The retreat complex includes a 33-bed house, four canvas tents, four smaller rooms, two bathhouses, separate kitchen, natural pool, garden, orchards and various animals.

Ferguson and other SJBVC volunteers will also have the opportunity to visit sites in the Holy Land and travel on weekend trips with the monks.

The post Fulfilling a desire to serve appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/fulfilling-a-desire-to-serve/

Johnson ready for Munguia tomorrow night

Bahamian middleweight professional boxer Tureano “Reno” Johnson arrived in Indio, California on Tuesday and is ready for his title fight against Mexican Jaime Munguia, set for tomorrow night at the Fantasy Spring Resort Casino in Indio.

Johnson is going after the World Boxing Organization (WBO) Intercontinental middleweight belt as he looks to improve his stocks to get a shot at the middleweight title. The fight will be the main card and will be aired on DAZN network at 8 p.m. They will both fight under the Golden Boy Promotions tag. There will be no spectators due to the COVID-19 protocols and guidelines.

The weigh-in is today at 4 p.m.

“This fight is very important to me,” Johnson said. “This is the stepping stone that literally makes me having a world title one step away. There are so many great fighters out there. I cannot speak to just one.”

He is focused on Munguia for now and feels great physically heading into tomorrow night.

“Physically, I feel great, I feel energized. I always say I am not getting older but I’m getting younger. I have taken the necessary steps to make sure that I am healthy. I am no longer training brutally hard that puts extreme damages on the body. Do I still train hard? Yes, but I train even smarter,” Johnson said.

The 36-year-old veteran sports a 21-2-1 win/loss/draw record with 15 of those wins coming by way of knockout. Munguia has an unblemished 35-win record with 28 of those wins coming by knockout. There is a 13-year age difference between the two fighters with Johnson at age 36 and Munguia at age 23.

Johnson is the underdog in this bout, as he was in his last fight. He checks on social media but now that the fight is near, he limits his usage of social media.

“My primary focus is the task at hand,” Johnson said. “I am aware that for most of my fights, I am rated as the underdog, but that only gives me more fuel to go out there and fight that much harder and get that victory.”

The last time Johnson fought was at the same venue in a North American Boxing Federation (NABF) middleweight title fight against then-undefeated Irishman Jason Quigley in July 2019. The Bahamian dominated that fight to lift the title.

This time in California is different for Johnson who said that he and his team were in quarantine in separate rooms from Tuesday until they got their results yesterday. Once they are cleared, they will be free to meet with team members. Other than that, the right-handed boxer has already adjusted to California on the West Coast coming from Brooklyn, New York on the East Coast.

“Fans can expect to see a Tureano who has evolved as a fighter. I am a more complete fighter. I would simply say watch the fight. If they had seen my last fight, they can expect an even better Tureano come Friday night. We made some adjustments to my fight style and I know that it will work in my favor.”

The 2008 Olympian added: “I am not going in there with the mindset that I have to knock him out in order to win, but if it happens, that would be great; but it will definitely have to come naturally. I am going in there to fight, to leave it all in the ring and walk away with the victory.”

He is trained by Issidoro Nicolas, Andre Rozier and Terence Simpson who works along with Andre Rozier. In keeping with the COVID-19 restriction, he is only allowed two of his coaches with him.

For the past two weeks, he and his camp started to finalize the finishing stages of the camp. They were working on sharpening his technical skills, sparring, continual endurance training and making sure that his weight is where it needs to be.

This is rest week for Johnson. It has been one of extreme caution for him as he and his team ensure that he is 100 percent physically healthy for this fight. Johnson continues to study footage of Munguia during this week as he has been doing from the fight card was announced.

Johnson has always been one to fly the flag proud throughout his career. This fight is no different. He will be clad in the aquamarine, gold and black colors on his trunks, gloves and shoes. He sees himself not only as a boxer but as an ambassador and a flag bearer. Johnson is encouraging all Bahamians to tune in to DAZN.

As usual, he thanked God for the opportunity to step into the ring. He also thanked his wife, daughter, mom, dad, Apostle Phalmon Ferguson and the United Faith Ministries. His main sponsors are KS Moses and Aquapure.

The post Johnson ready for Munguia tomorrow night appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/johnson-ready-for-munguia-tomorrow-night/

BOC assists BBF national team

With almost five weeks left before the Bahamas Basketball Federation (BBF) senior men’s national basketball team travels for their second window in the FIBA (International Basketball Federation) AmeriCup 2022 Qualifiers in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas Olympic Committee (BOC) stepped up big time financially and assisted the team with part of their travels.

Competition is slated for November 29-30. Team Bahamas is set to open play against the United States of America (USA) on November 29 and the following day, they will play Puerto Rico. This competition is one of the steps to the 2024 Summer Olympic Games to be held in Paris, France.

The BOC donated $15,000 yesterday and will look to donate another $15,000 in three weeks. The money was funded from the Olympic Solidarity Team Grant and Project. It was distributed through the BOC’s Athletes Welfare Commission.

President of the BBF Mario Bowleg said he is grateful for the dedication and assistance from the BOC to all the national federations.

“Once again, the BBF is appreciative of the token given by the BOC, which will assist our senior men in traveling to the second window of the AmeriCup Qualifiers to be held in Puerto Rico. As you are aware, the pandemic has affected the worldwide economy including we here in The Bahamas and most of our major sponsors have been closed and the federation is seeking some $80,000 to make the trip possible. We are very happy and elated that the BOC was the first to assist us with some funding to ensure that we make this trip possible,” Bowleg said.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the BOC formed the Athletes Welfare Commission to assist those athletes who are affected by the pandemic financially. Chairman of the commission, Roy Colebrook encourages all the athletes to apply for the assistance.

“In this tough economic time, during this COVID-19 period, we continue our work with the basketball federation… We believe that it is very important to ensure that our athletes continue to thrive and to do and be the best that they can be during these tough economic times,” Colebrook said.

President of the BOC Romell Knowles thanked the International Olympic Committee through the Olympic Solidarity for investing in the BOC and other National Olympic Committee with finances and resources to assist the athletes. He was grateful for the due diligence of Colebrook and Bowleg.

In an effort to raise more funds, Bowleg said he has written to the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture for the federation’s annual grant of $20,000 along with some extra funds. He is hoping that will come through, so the team can travel to play. He is also looking to get some funding from outside The Bahamas but that is also a wait and see.

He knows that these are hard times and money is tight. The basketball chief also said that when they play, they are advertising The Bahamas and can bring in even more money when they make it to the Olympic Games.

This window comes at a time when some of the country’s best basketball players are available to suit up for their countries. As a result, Bowleg said the federation will do whatever it takes for them to make the trip happen.

Making up the $80,000 budget are the cost for travel, accommodation, food and COVID-19 testing.

The Bahamas split their opening two games against Mexico back in the February window earlier this year. They lost their first game, 75-61, in Mexico, then travelled back home to The Bahamas a few days later and took down Mexico, 76-59.

The Bahamas is in second place in Group D play with three points. The Americans sit above them with four points. Mexico also has three points, but loses the tiebreaker to The Bahamas, while Puerto Rico rounds out the group with two points.

The post BOC assists BBF national team appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/boc-assists-bbf-national-team/

Sunshine Insurance Marathon Bahamas 2021 goes virtual

After ongoing consideration and guidance from local and national health authorities, Marathon Bahamas 2021 will be transitioning to a virtual race whereby one can compete and complete their preferred distance from home, a local running track or favorite running route. To add to the excitement, the event participation completion dates will be extended from Saturday, January 9 to Sunday, January 17, 2021.

The health, well-being and safety of our participants, sponsors, volunteers and staff have always been our top priority and remain so in these globally challenging circumstances surrounding COVID-19.

This event typically relies on the generous donations of our sponsors. As we are all aware, many local businesses have been closed. We are respectful that, upon reopening, their priority will be customers and employees. In light of that, we will not be seeking sponsorships this year.

Additionally, as many of our participants are international, we don’t know what the travel guidelines will be for the early winter period as well as crowd size and social distancing. Since the race takes months to plan, we would be unable to appropriately prepare for the many unknowns.

Virtual participants’ swag will include finisher medal, gender-specific tech shirt, race bag, digital bib and finisher certificate.

Participants will receive more information and specific instructions upon registering at www.marathonbahamas.com.

All 2021 registered participants will be receiving an email regarding their race deferral to 2022.

A virtual race is still a race but without being around other people on a specific course at a specific timeframe. The great part of this is that participants don’t have to travel. They can run or walk the course of their choosing while being tracked. There is also no time limit.

As always, net proceeds will benefit four charities, namely: the Cancer Society of The Bahamas, Sister Sister Breast Cancer Support Group, Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation and the Cancer Society of Grand Bahama.

Virtual registration opens on Sunday, November 1. Marathon Bahamas is excited for this 12th annual running, despite participants not being together.

The post Sunshine Insurance Marathon Bahamas 2021 goes virtual appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/sunshine-insurance-marathon-bahamas-2021-goes-virtual/

‘Bahamians must get used to cycle of tightening and loosening restrictions’

Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis said weekend lockdowns will remain in place on New Providence and Abaco, however he announced that beaches are parks will open on weekdays beginning next week.

Minnis also announced tighter restrictions on Grand Bahama, which has seen a spike in cases in recent days.

“We want to, as quickly as possible, address any community spread on Grand Bahama,” Minnis said during a press conference.

Effective Friday, a curfew will be imposed from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Grand Bahama, he said.

However, he said the 7p.m. curfew on New Providence Abaco has been pushed back by an hour.

Weddings and funerals will now be limited to ten people, excluding the officiants, on Grand Bahama.

Grand Bahama has more than 700 confirmed cases of COVID-19.

Minnis said the government is also looking at Eleuthera, which had 64 confirmed cases up to Tuesday.

“Due to the increase in COVID-19 related activity on Eleuthera, Spanish Wells and Harbour Island, the Ministry of Health will dispatch an emergency team to assess the situation, as was done previously on Bimini,” he said.

“Following this assessment, a determination will be made on what specific measures may be needed for Eleuthera, Spanish Wells and Harbour Island.”

Minnis also announced that food stores are now permitted to open on Saturdays on Abaco from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

As it relates to the opening of beaches and parks on New Providence and Abaco, Minnis said groups are limited to five people. Beaches and parks will be closed on weekends.

He added that New Providence and Abaco residents will be permitted to exercise in their immediate neighborhoods from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

With the anticipated ramping up of the tourism industry expected to take place on November 1, Minnis said health officials will evaluate the rate of transmission two weeks following the re-opening to further guide the government’s response.

He noted that negative RT-PCR tests are required for all returning Bahamians and residents no matter how long they are away for.

Minnis also advised Bahamians to travel with sufficient funds in the event they test positive for COVID-19 and are required to quarantine for 14 days.

The prime minister said other emergency orders also remain in place on New Providence and Abaco with the exception of the reopening of beaches on those islands, and the operation of food stores on Saturday on Abaco.

 “This pandemic is exhausting and costly physically, spiritually, emotionally and economically,” Minnis said.

“Sadly, the Northern Hemisphere is likely heading into the worst period of the pandemic… Experts are saying that the next few months will be a dark, dark winter.”

Minnis said Bahamians must get used to the cycle of tightening and loosening restrictions.

The post ‘Bahamians must get used to cycle of tightening and loosening restrictions’ appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/bahamians-must-get-used-to-cycle-of-tightening-and-loosening-restrictions/

Leah Suzanne Taylor

Last rites for Leah Suzanne Taylor age 71 of Farmer’s Hill, Exuma will be held on Saturday 31^st October, 2020 at 10:00AM at the graveside in Farmer’s Hill, Exuma. Officiating will be Rev’d Stephen L Smith, assisted by other Ministers of the Gospel.

She is survived by her Son: Tamar O. Tinker, Daughter: Nicola M. Taylor, Daughter-in-Law: Cheryl Barr-Tinker, Adopted Daughter: Nyoka Deveaux-Price,  Grandchildren: Tamara Tinker, Andre Vasquez Jr., Ovanthia Barr, Great Grandchildren: Jeremiah Vasquez, Nephews: Cedric Winton II Taylor, Tavari and Zachary Taylor Sr. (Katherine), Grand Nephews: Able Marine Tekeille Jones, Jahleel Jones, Keven Ferguson Jr., Cedric Taylor III, Zachary Jr., Rashad Pratt, Nieces: Sgt. 234 Takenia Taylor-Major (Luke), Juanita Taylor, Grandnieces: Cedricka , Tae Aaliyah, Jonell and Zara Taylor, Dante and D’Ante Woods, Great Grand Nieces: Khali and Aiya Jones, Rashae Hanna, Aunt: Christina Rolle, Malza Taylor of Long Island, 1^st Cousins and Children: Laura Taylor (Solomob, Ann, Mary, Lynda, James), Lean Taylor ( Ricardo, Sharon, Monique, Jon, Robert, Roger Taylor), Cathy Taylor (Leanette and Clinton), Richard Taylor (Dawndrea and Taylor), Edna Taylor (Ayana Brown, Laura Gibson, David Spence), Reche Taylor, William and numerous cousins including: Codero Rolle, the Taylors, Rolles, Clarkes, McPhees, and McKenzie Families, host of friends including: K Clarke, Shavonne Johnson, Travis Johnson, Dudley Shepherd, Leslie Lockhart, Deri Hutcheson, Christine & Randy Cunningham, Makayla, Patrice Sweeting, Pauline Taylor, Paul Smith & Family, Joanne Knowles & Family, Gary Cooper & Family, Charlton Tinker & Family, Anthony Moss & Family, Chester Cooper, M.P. and the Progressive Liberal Party, Annimae Rolle & Family, Jenice Stuart Rolle & Family, Dorothy Smith & Family, Alma Adams & Family, Farrington Road Family, Steve Smith & Family, Leo Adderley and the G.A.K. M. Church Family, Bahamas Faith Ministries Family, Newbold Street Family, Munnings Family, Murtis Vasquez Family, Hawthorne Road Family, Fleming Street Family, Overtown, Miami Family, Pastor Cecil Lamb and the Opa Locka Church Family, NW 181^ST N 14 AVE Miami gardens Family, 1972-1983 Bahamas Air Family, 1986 – 1989 Foreign Affairs Department.

The body will repose at Curtis Memorial Mortuary on Friday from 1:00PM to 5:00PM.

SOCIAL DISTANCING WILL BE STRICYLY ENFORCED.

The post Leah Suzanne Taylor appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/leah-suzanne-taylor/

Atlantis to begin phased reopening before year’s end

Atlantis announced on Tuesday that it will begin its phased reopening before the end of the year.

In a letter to staff, Atlantis President and Managing Director Audrey Oswell wrote, “I am writing to update you that we will be announcing our plans to reopen Atlantis Paradise Island in the weeks ahead. Currently, we expect to welcome our first guests before the end of 2020.

“Atlantis will reopen in several planned phases. Our highest priority is and will always be to ensure the health and safety of our guests and you, our valued team members.

“We are also focused on reopening the property in response to our guests’ pent up demand to visit, which continues to be impacted by COVID-19.”

Atlantis previously intended to reopen on July 15 but changed course as the United States – which accounts for 80 percent of The Bahamas’ foreign visitors – experienced a significant spike in COVID-19 cases.

Atlantis has been closed since March.

Oswell said employees will be notified of the reopening date in time.

“At that time, we will begin the process of notifying you if you will be returning for phase one,” she said.

“We will also provide details on when you should return to work and introduce the new processes and protocols to maintain your health, safety, and well-being while at work.

“Unfortunately, we cannot welcome everyone back for phase one. In the coming weeks, we will share details on how we will support hose colleagues in the interim period, and the milestones Atlantis need to achieve to bring you back.”

Atlantis is the single largest private employer in The Bahamas.

Thousands of furloughed employees were eagerly awaiting their return to work at the end of the month.

The post Atlantis to begin phased reopening before year’s end appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/atlantis-to-begin-phased-reopening-before-years-end/

COVID-19 in France puts Bridgewater’s NM2 league on pause

The COVID-19 situation in France has escalated again and that has thrown a wrench in the basketball career of professional player Dominick Bridgewater, as his 2020-2021 season with Sapela Basket 13 in the Nationale Masculine 2 (NM2) league has been put on a break since October 13.

Bridgewater, who is on a loan from For-Sur-Mer Provence Byers Club, was set to play US Aubenas on Saturday, October 17, when COVID-19 brought a pause to their game like it did back in March. It was a home game for Sapela in Salon-de-Provence, France. NM2 is the fourth highest professional basketball league in France.

“We received notice ahead of time that our place is not in a good state so things might be getting closed down for some time,” Bridgewater said. “As of now, no word on that because things [are] still a bit bad.”

French President Emmanuel Macron is set to give a televised address to the nation tonight which is rumored to be centered around possible restrictions as the country looks to fight the second wave. Based on his speech, the basketball community with make a decision on the season.

On Sunday, France recorded its highest single-day positive cases with more than 52,000 new COVID-19 cases. As a country, France has a total of 1,242,923 confirmed cases and 35,575 deaths. 

Bridgewater is in Marseille, France, where there is a 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew in place. He said the situation is not all good as cases go up daily. Residents are wearing masks, sanitizing and social distancing.

The guard also said he is trying to stay positive as he keeps working hard in practice every day as if there is a game coming up. Though the season is on pause, like back in March, the Bahamian said it does not feel the same way as it did back then.

“We actually have hope to play again with it being paused, because when it’s canceled it’s nothing you could do,” Bridgewater said. “I’m keeping a positive mindset, staying in contact with my family and friends. It’s out of my control or anybody’s control. Some people take it differently, but me, I have been working on bettering myself and not just letting the time pass.”

The season was young before it halted as Sapela 13 was undefeated in its four games. Its last game was an away matchup against Basket Club Sorgues, where the team was victorious with a 96-79 scoreline. In its first game of the season, it took down La Rovoire Challes Challes Basket 87-72. Against Cannet Cote D’Azur Basket, Sapela won 90-74. Sapela took advantage of West Lyonnais Basket with a 93-72 trouncing.

In the standings, it tallied all eight of its possible points so far and sits in the sixth position with two games in hand behind top seed Pontoise ULR Basket, which is undefeated with six wins.

The former Anatol Rodgers Senior High School product has been sensational so far this season for Sapela, averaging a double-double with 17 points per game and 11.5 assists a contest. He has also shown that he has active hands-on defense as he is averaging four steals a contest.

He said the season was going well for them and when it restarts, they are going to do something special. For now, his short stay has been amazing, and he hopes it continues.

His goal this season is to win the championship and move to a better and higher level.

It has been a good year for the Bahamian as he got a chance to move from the junior ranks of the Bahamas national team to the senior side back in February. He was the youngest player on the team and was instrumental in Team Bahamas’ historic 76-59 victory against Mexico in the first window of the FIBA AmeriCup 2022 Qualifiers. He finished that game with 15 points.

The post COVID-19 in France puts Bridgewater’s NM2 league on pause appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/covid-19-in-france-puts-bridgewaters-nm2-league-on-pause/