Message from
Rt. Hon. Hubert A. Ingraham
Prime Minister
Christmas 2009  

Throughout the Christian world Christmas is the happiest of religious celebrations.  Here in The Bahamas it is eagerly anticipated as a time for family gathering, religious services and Junkanoo.  I wish to extend best wishes to Bahamians everywhere and to all those visiting with us at this time of year a very Merry Christmas.  

This year, as is our custom, Christmas ushers in a season of generosity of spirit and of sharing.  This is all the more welcomed this year as so many of our people continue to struggle against the fallout of the global economic recession.    

At Christmas time last year we were all already aware of the challenges and the uncertainty facing our country in the wake of the global economic and financial crisis that had descended upon us and the world.  As we prepare to celebrate another holiday season, the challenges and the uncertainty remain.   

Although we are told that the worst recession in living memory may have bottomed out and that recovery may have begun, our tourist trade and other economic sectors will take a while yet to recover.  

Thousands of Bahamian families have had to face the stark reality of unemployment and underemployment as the global economy and hence the Bahamian economy shrank.  I know that for many people 2009 has been very difficult. 

We continue to manage our economy prudently and sensibly so as to ensure that we are well placed to benefit from the global recovery as it occurs.  We are cautiously optimistic that 2010 will be better for more people than was 2009. 

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FREEPORT, Grand Bahama -- Residents of East Grand Bahama will soon have an alternate route traveling into Freeport as plans for the new Grand Bahama Highway Bridge are underway for commencement in 2010.

The new Grand Bahama Highway Bridge is a project of the Lucayan Service Company, a subsidiary of the Grand Bahama Development Company (DEVCO). It is expected to provide approximately 45-50 new construction jobs for the duration of the project and inject much needed stimulus into Grand Bahama’s economy.

The new bridge will add the needed and long overdue infrastructure included as part of the initial Master Planned design for Freeport and Eastern Lucaya.  With the continued expansion of residential areas toward the East and projects such as the new College of The Bahamas Campus, the planned construction is timed to facilitate such growth and future development.
 
“Construction of this new bridge will continue DEVCO’s and GBPA's vision for Grand Bahama's future development and complete the Grand Bahama Highway (GBH) making travel to the Eastern end of the island easier," says Sir Jack Hayward, GBPA Honourary Chairman. 

The existing Casuarina Bridge is more than forty years old and was not designed to handle heavy construction traffic. “For years residents residing in East Grand Bahama have had only one means in and out of their communities. If something were to happen to the Casuarina Bridge, the island would be split in two, East Grand Bahama and West Grand Bahama” he further commented.

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Everyone is getting ready for upcoming festivities and holiday gatherings, large or small.  As with Thanksgiving, we wanted to remind you to be extra considerate of your animals at this hectic time of year.  Dangers abound around your home if you’re not careful!  You must be the one to think ahead for your pets. 

Cats and dogs can be lured by new and exciting changes in their home.  Decorations can be tempting!  Glass ornaments are an obvious danger.  Electrical lights are life threatening if chewed on or eaten. If you have a live Christmas tree keep the water in the stand fresh – not only for the good of the tree, but if a pet ingests stagnant water it can cause vomiting and diarrhea.  Holiday plants must also be watched.  While poinsettias are indeed a hazard many people know of, its toxic properties do not usually kill animals.  Mistletoe and holly are in fact more toxic.   

The holiday season often means a lot of special meals and treats for us.  What is good for humans is not good for our pets!  You are doing them no favours by sharing.  Foods that are high in fat content can be very harmful to them.  Overindulgence in fatty foods like gravy or greasy meats can, at the very least, causes gastric upset which can lead to upset stomach, diarrhea and lethargy.  At worst it can cause pancreatitis, which has the potential to be fatal.  This occurs when digestive enzymes are activated in the pancreas instead of the intestine. The enzymes digest the pancreas, causing inflammation. 

Many people have heard that chocolate is bad for animals.  It is in fact the theobromine in chocolate that can be poisonous to many animals, depending on the amount.  The darker the chocolate, the more toxic it is.  Even a few ounces of unsweetened baking chocolate can be fatal.   

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FREEPORT, Grand Bahama -- A Ministry of Tourism team was on the ground making sure that everyone felt welcomed and received a gift as they disembarked from Delta’s direct inaugural flight from New York (John F Kennedy Airport) to Grand Bahama.  

The airline will use a CR9 Aircraft with a seating capacity of 76-passengers. Flights will run Thursday through Sunday.  

The flights will be packaged through Delta Vacations and participating hotels include the Radisson at Our Lucaya Beach & Golf Resorts, The Reef Village at Our Lucaya Beach & Golf Resort, Pelican Bay Hotel & Suites, Viva Wyndham Fortuna Resort, and Old Bahama Bay Resort & Yacht Harbour.  

Pictured making sure visitors receive their gift bag from left: Debbie Hyler, Manager, Ports of Entrée, MOT; Keren Seymour, Director, MOT - Grand Bahama Island; Don Cornish, Administrator, Officer of the Prime Minister and Gary Gilbert, CEO, Grand Bahama International Airport.  (BIS photo/Vandyke Hepburn) 

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On November 19 and 20, three country-specific resolutions on the human rights situations in Iran, Burma and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) came up for action in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Third Committee.  The Third Committee is the only UN body with the universal membership responsible for addressing international human rights issues.

 

All three resolutions passed. What was different about this year’s vote was that The Bahamas historic support for these important resolutions changed. While The Bahamas was consistently one of the brave souls in the Caribbean region that stood up for human rights, it chose to abstain during the November vote.

 

The resolution on Iran, sponsored by Canada and 41 other co-sponsors, was particularly important this year as the world watched in stunned horror at the brutal repression that occurred in the wake of the June 12 elections. The Government in Iran shut down scores of news outlets, arrested journalists and carried out summary executions, torture, and arbitrary detention.

 

The resolution called on the Government of Iran to fully respect its human rights obligations, both in law and in practice. The Government of Iran has consistently refused to acknowledge that it faces human rights issues, as all countries do.

 

In explaining this significant change in position to the Committee Chairman, The Bahamas said it was “reassessing” its vote because they were not convinced that country specific resolutions would improve the human rights situations in those countries. The Bahamas went so far as to suggest that these resolutions could actually impede meaningful dialogue and cooperation. The Bahamas stated that human rights issues should be addressed during the Human Rights Council’s (HRC) Universal Periodic Review (UPR) which each country submits to every four years.

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Message from
Rt. Hon. Hubert A. Ingraham
Prime Minister
Christmas 2009  

Throughout the Christian world Christmas is the happiest of religious celebrations.  Here in The Bahamas it is eagerly anticipated as a time for family gathering, religious services and Junkanoo.  I wish to extend best wishes to Bahamians everywhere and to all those visiting with us at this time of year a very Merry Christmas.  

This year, as is our custom, Christmas ushers in a season of generosity of spirit and of sharing.  This is all the more welcomed this year as so many of our people continue to struggle against the fallout of the global economic recession.    

At Christmas time last year we were all already aware of the challenges and the uncertainty facing our country in the wake of the global economic and financial crisis that had descended upon us and the world.  As we prepare to celebrate another holiday season, the challenges and the uncertainty remain.   

Although we are told that the worst recession in living memory may have bottomed out and that recovery may have begun, our tourist trade and other economic sectors will take a while yet to recover.  

Thousands of Bahamian families have had to face the stark reality of unemployment and underemployment as the global economy and hence the Bahamian economy shrank.  I know that for many people 2009 has been very difficult. 

We continue to manage our economy prudently and sensibly so as to ensure that we are well placed to benefit from the global recovery as it occurs.  We are cautiously optimistic that 2010 will be better for more people than was 2009. 

Read more >>

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Royal Fidelity Daily Stock Market Commentary - Thursday December 24, 2009

Click the [[BISX]] logo for the latest share pricing update from BISX:

Local Stock Market Commentary:

There was no trading in the local market today.

Precious Metals:

Gold closed at $1,105.70, Silver at $17.52, Platinum at $1,473.70 and Crude Oil at $77.44 a barrel.

Foreign Currencies:

Against the US Dollar, the Euro closed at 1.4366, Pound Sterling at 1.5957, Yen at 91.60 and the Canadian Dollar at 0.9527.

Stocks:

Consolidated Water Company Ltd. (CWCO) increased by +$0.04 or by +0.46% to close at $13.08.

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NASSAU, Bahamas -- The Furniture Plus family was pleased  to assist the Bahamas Nurses Union this Christmas.  Donating three door prizes towards their annual Nurses Christmas Party. "Its wonderful angels like our nurses who keep us strong all year long," noted Krystynia d'Arville, Furniture Plus VP Sales and Marketing Director. "We thank them for all their dedication to the people of The Bahamas."  Presenting the donations to the union are (left to right) Dawn Forbes, Executive Assistant Sales and Marketing and Priscilla Wood Cunningham, Registered Nurse, P.M.H and Shop Steward, Bahamas Nurses Union.
 
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FREEPORT, Grand Bahama -- Sir Jack Hayward’s children and grandchildren wish it to be known that they support the decision of the Government of The Bahamas not to renew the work permit of Hannes Babak.  They believe that this decision is in the best interest of The Bahamas as a whole as well as all of the beneficiaries of the trusts established by Sir Jack Hayward which hold all the interest of the Hayward Family in the shares of The Grand Bahama Port Authority Limited and the Port Group Limited. 

The beneficiaries of the Hayward Family Trusts (except Sir Jack himself) are not in support of the purported sale of the shares held by the Hayward Family Trusts to the Mid Atlantic Group as announced, and firmly believe that an early resolution of the long-running and unfortunate dispute with the St George family should be the first priority and would serve the best interests of all. The beneficiaries would encourage Sir Jack to join them in pledging their support to work with the St. George family to this end.

The Hayward Family Trusts beneficiaries have been shocked to learn that the Trustees have been compelled by strong arm tactics to yield to the wishes of Sir Jack, as Settlor of the Trust, and enter into a transaction attempting to dispose of the Trusts' interest in The Grand Bahama Port Authority Limited and the Port Group Limited. The beneficiaries of the Trusts would urge Sir Jack and the Trustees to support their decision that any attempt to dispose of the shares in The Grand Bahama Port Authority Limited and the Port Group Limited obtain the full approval of the Government of The Bahamas as a condition precedent to the sale of the shares.

Local Bahamian Counsel have been retained to commence Supreme Court proceedings urgently for the appointment of a Judicial Trustee whose role would be, once so ordered by the Supreme Court, to take control of the Trusts and administer the Trusts' Estate in a professional businesslike fashion for the benefit of all the beneficiaries including resolving all disputes and ensuring that the sale of the shares would only be completed after the approval of the Bahamas Government is first obtained. 

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NASSAU, Bahamas -- The founding director of the National Art Gallery Dr. Erica James will take a year long sabbatical to serve as a Post Doctoral Fellow in the Department of Art History and Archaeology at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri beginning January 2010.

Dr. James returned to The Bahamas in 2003 after being retained as Visiting Resident Curator by the Committee to Establish the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas. She was tasked with overseeing the final stages of the restoration and renovation of Villa Doyle, the official opening of the Gallery, the curation of the Inaugural National Exhibition (INE) and the coordination of the installation of the three major exhibitions that open the gallery in July 2003.

Dr. James was appointed Chief Curator in 2003 and Director of the Gallery in 2005. During her time at the NAGB, she has drafted policies to govern the operation of the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas both curatorially and institutionally, curated more than ten exhibitions including three National Exhibitions, the popular "What is Africa to Me?", "The Awakening Landscape" and the current "Max Taylor: Paperwork."

Under her direction, the Gallery has also developed a vibrant public programme offering that includes, lectures, concerts, artist talks, children and family workshops, films, teacher workshops, etc. Perhaps most important to her has been the development of the Gallery’s Art Library intended to assist, students, teachers and artists with resources on Bahamian, regional and international artists and art movements.

A graduate of the College of The Bahamas and a proud recipient of the Sir Gerald Cash award for the highest GPA in her graduating year at COB, Dr. James received her BA (honours) from Vassar College, the Master of Fine Arts from the University of Chicago and an earned her PhD in Art History from Duke University. She is the recipient of numerous awards including research fellowships from the International Association of University Women and the Ford Foundation, The John Hope Franklin Fellowship and the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Research Fellowship at the Clark Institute in Williamstown, MA.

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EAST END, Grand Bahama -- Adagio Art Gallery, located in the East End Grand Bahama native settlement of Gambier Point, is hosting the Artist Studio Christmas Exhibit through January 18th 2010.  This unique exhibit in a unique location showcases artistic works large and small in a wide price range, with a special something for everyone.  To make an appointment for a private showing please call the Gallery at 353 4333/727 4333 (cell) or visit adagioartworks.com

Directions to Adagio Art Gallery, Gambier Point, Grand Bahama:

From the  Seahorse Road Traffic Circle travel east along East Sunrise highway for 10.1km/6.3mi to the Cassarina Bridge that crosses over the Grand Bahama Waterway.  Continue over the bridge keeping to your left, for 2.4 km/1.5mi until the STOP sign at Grand Bahama Highway. 

Turn right and travel along Grand Bahama Highway for 18.5km/11.5 mi to Lucayan National Park.  Continue from the Lucayan National Park for 3.5-km/2.2 mi past the colourful Missile Base Library on your right. (END OF BONDED AREA)

Continue straight ahead following a gentle curve to the right for 3.0-km/1.8 miles.  Continue past the native settlement of New Freetown until you see the sign welcoming you to GAMBIER POINT. 

There are two roads for Gambier Point.  Take the second road to the right just past the bus stop.  Follow the road, paved, then dirt, right down to Adagio Art Gallery. If you pass a gas station on your left you have gone too far. Turn around and go back to the bus stop, turn left and follow the road to the end.

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NASSAU, Bahamas -- December 30th has been earmarked as the date for the grand finale event of The Prom Diva TV Reality Show airing on Cable 12.  The much anticipated event will give the general public an opportunity to meet the stars from the local Prom Diva TV Reality Show and to choose the winning Prom Diva for 2009. 

The young ladies, 10 in total, Geshann Pratt - Queens College, Oria Tinker -S.A.C., Ashley Hamilton -S.A.C., Tenisha  Penn - Queens College, Kelli DeGregory, Queens College, Katie Pratt-Queens College, Tazel Ferguson-C.V. Bethel, Clytrice Miller – C.V. Bethell, Britanny Basden – S.A. C. and Dereka Thompson - S.A.C. will have an opportunity to mix and mingle with the general public at the grand finale event on Wednesday, December 30th at the UPTOWN Lounge (upstairs from Conch Fritters) at 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. 

The Grand Finale will make up the content for the final episode of the TV reality show series and so all who attend will be a part of a live TV audience.

Famous Bahamian entertainers, Manifest, Sammi Starr, Sketch and C.J. Priest will perform at the event and will thrill the crowds with their award winning releases.  National Youth Month Step Show winners, J.A. Step Team along with other step groups will compete for a cash prize and all ladies in attendance will have the opportunity to compete in the Diva DHAT competition when they strut their best DIVA walk for prizes. Popular 100 JAMZ “D.J. A.I.” will spin the wheels and provide the best in the latest vibes and music.

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NASSAU, Bahamas -- Lights, camera, action, great food, folks, fashion and fun will bring to life the dwellings of Nassau’s historic Collins House on Shirley Street this Saturday, December 19 at 7 p.m. as Bahamas Local.com partners with the organizers of Rotate, a major social networking, event which is expected to attract thousands of persons both young and old from diverse backgrounds, cultures and fields. 

Like a scene out of the movies, attendees will be treated as high profile celebrities and greeted by a red carpet similar to the Grammy Awards, with flashing cameras and much more.  

Major highlights will include live cooking demonstrations by celebrity TV Chef Jamall Petty of the Island Flare Cooking TV Show who will be ably assisted by Lady Bernadette Christie, wife of former Prime Minister, The Right Hon. Perry Christie, Leader of the Official Opposition. Also in the house will be the 242 People Clothing Company who will unveil their much anticipated Christmas line featuring unique designs by local designers along with a special European style fashion show. In addition, The Bahamas Dinner Network team along with noted photographer Scharad Lightbourne’s ‘Click’ will be in attendance. Also on stage will be Visage and R&B sensation Sammi Starr. 

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NASSAU, Bahamas -- Local resident and world-renowned Director of Photography, Gavin McKinney received the first Bahamian Tribute Award, presented by the Bahamas International Film Festival in a ceremony held at The College of The Bahamas auditorium, Tuesday, December 15, 2009.

Pictured from left: Fred Mitchell, Member of Parliament for Fox Hill; Gavin McKinney and the Hon Brent Symonette, Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs.  (BIS Photo/Kris Ingraham)

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