Category Archives: Bahamas

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

WITH a new make-up for the administration of baseball and softball on the international scene, the English-speaking Caribbean Bahamas Softball Tournament (ECAST) has announced some changes to its structure will have an effect on its member associations, including the Bahamas.

At the official opening of the New Providence Softball Associations 2017 season in the Bankers Field at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex on Saturday night, ECAST president Burket Dorsett made the revelation.

Dorsett, the former president of the New Providence Softball Association, said during their board meeting in the Dominican Republic, the International Softball Federation dictated that softball and baseball will now be under one body, known as the World Baseball/Softball Congress and will have one president, one board, one constitution and bylaws.

So if youre suspended from baseball, you are suspended from softball, revealed Dorsett, indicating that there were some 37 rules that were amended.

All of these things will be adopted at our next congress in Botswana, Africa in October.

In July, Dorsett said the Bahamas would be taking a team to the World Junior Softball Championships in Clearwater, Florida, in July.

Additionally, there will be a qualifying tournament in the Dominican Republic in July, which will serve as the qualifier for both the Central American and Caribbean Games and the Pan American Games scheduled for 2017 and 2018.

He said the country with the best win-loss record in both the men and women divisions at the qualifying tournament will go on to participate in both the CAC Games and Pan Am Games.

Also approved were some grants that have been granted and once the respective associations apply, those grants for field maintenance, development of junior and senior national teams, scholarships, office administration, pitching coaches and clinics for umpires and scorers.

All the Bahamas Softball Federation needs to do is apply and it would be approved within 30 days, Dorsett stressed. Once they submit all of the necessary documents.

With softball for women being included in the 2020 Olympic Games, the Bahamas will have three different opportunities to qualify for the worlds biggest sporting spectacular.

In their bid to qualify, the Bahamas can be one of the two finishers in the World Championships, or as one of the qualifiers from the World Baseball/Softball Congress Americas region or in an open qualifier.

You can apply to the IOC Solidarity Fund to secure the money to help these teams to travel to the various tournaments, he said.

Theres a lot of work cut out for you and I wish your federation all the best and please accept these funds from the IOC.

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Changes To Ecast Structure Will Affect The Bahamas - Bahamas Tribune

In the hubbub of ministers, military officials and tourists in flowery shirts, I manage to spot Dr Nicola Virgill-Rolle the head of national planning in the Bahamian Prime Ministers Office.

Were at a global summit that could only be in the Bahamas. UN experts and government officials are inside discussing climate change, sustainable development, and citizen engagement. Just out of the window, we can see tourists drinking rum, dancing and playing volleyball.

Its a wonderful destination, but the conversation is serious: small island states face a challenging future. Climate change threatens their very existence; their economies are reliant on globalisation; and they have dispersed communities that can lack healthcare or education provision.

In the Bahamas, Virgill-Rolle overseas a new plan thats intended to mitigate some of these problems. GovInsider caught up with her to understand how this nation is learning from governments across the world.

The need for reform

The government has faced many challenges in the past few years, she says. In 2015 and 2016, the archipelago was ravaged by serious hurricanes, causing billions of dollars worth of damage.

With a dispersed rural population, government officials can take a long time to understand the damage that these hurricanes have caused and respond.

Equally, there are day-to-day challenges: keeping citizens engaged; ensuring adequate standards of service delivery; ensuring strong rural healthcare and education.

This year, the government has decided to centralise control of these initiatives into a dedicated Delivery Unit. Inspired by similar units in governments from Britain to Colombia, the Bahamas is overhauling its structures to create greater efficiency.

The plan

Virgill-Rolles team will employ 10 15 people in the Delivery Unit from a number of ministries with great project management skills and different types of expertise, she says. They will also train project managers to work within key departments, who will report back to the centre of government on their progress.

The Unit will be based in the Prime Ministers Office, which is responsible for the governments National Development Plan. This Plan has key metrics tied to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030 which the Bahamas intends to achieve. That gives the project managers concrete objectives to push for within their host departments. Meanwhile, the central Delivery Unit will track progress against a dashboard and interject when there are delays.

The project began in January, and is intended to launch officially in August. Theres process to ensure that the political level is sensitised to the project, the public service is sensitised to what this change means, and we are looking at getting the various job descriptions and organisational structures put in place, she says.

Learning from others

Delivery units are cropping up around the world. Malaysia has one, for example, while the UAE has taken the same processes and condensed them into day-long workshops.

In South America, the methodology is dubbed a Centre of Government Approach, and its being promoted by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). Virgill-Rolle was inspired by this approach at a summit in Washington last year, and particularly how it has transformed government in Colombia.

The country had a big problem with phone theft, she says, which sounds simple but is linked to so many security issues in their country. The government set very precise targets for their police forces to achieve, and then measured results across the country to share success stories and find the best ways to tackle this problem. That is an amazing story we learned from, Virgill-Rolle says.

Tech for good

The Bahamas Delivery Unit project is also part of a bigger scheme, funded by the IDB, to improve national procurement, accounting and statistics. A dedicated IT platform is being built to support this initiative. Recently, CrimsonLogic a Singaporean supplier won the tender.

More broadly, tech is crucial for future development, Virgill-Rolle believes. This is particularly true for education and healthcare, which can be improved in rural areas with video conferencing and better data, she notes. The government also intends to find new ways to include rural citizens views in the policy making process.

Within the government, a coordinating board will pull together project feedback from across departments. IT is handled by the Ministry of Finance, but in keeping with many island states such as Singapore policy control is being taken on by the Prime Ministers Office. This ensures that small nations can adapt quickly and leapfrog larger countries.

We exchange business cards and I lose Virgill-Rolle in the throng of international delegations. The annual Small Island Development States (SIDS) Summit from the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs is bustling and hectic, with delegates sharing success stories and discussing the new Sustainable Development Goals.

Meanwhile, I head out to the poolside, order an ice tea, and start typing up this story. Only in the Bahamas.

Images by the University of the Bahamas; Office of the Prime Minister, Bahamas; Ricardo Mangual CC BY 2.0

https://govinsider.asia/connected-gov/exclusive-inside-the-bahamas-delivery-unit/

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Exclusive: Inside the Bahamas Delivery Unit - GovInsider

While the 2017 Grand Bahama Island Air Show is in the books, it doesnt mean you cant load up your plane and head down to the Bahamas for a tropical getaway. And now, that especially includes pilots enrolled in BasicMed, as the AOPA recently announced that the Bahamas has become the first international destination that accepts pilots flying under the FAAs new medical certification.

This is a huge win for the thousands of BasicMed pilots and we cant thank the Bahamas Civil Aviation Authority enough for their work and leadership, said AOPA President Mark Baker. While AOPA is still working with officials in Canada and Mexico to open their borders and airspace for BasicMed pilots, the deal with the Bahamas is significant, as more than 30 percent of international GA flights land in the islands each year.

BasicMed was rolled out on May 1, after the FAA released an official BasicMed Comprehensive Medical Examination Checklist that allowed GA pilots to determine if they qualify to fly without holding an FAA medical certificate. Thus far, pilot response to BasicMed has been positive, as more than 5,000 pilots have already enrolled, while AOPA believes the program will ultimately affect hundreds of thousands of pilots, including many who stopped flying because of concerns over their medical certificates.

To qualify for BasicMed, pilots must first have their physicians fill out the FAA checklist, and then they can complete the free AOPA online medical course. The completed exam checklist and the certificate of completion from the course must be kept with the pilots logbook. For more on BasicMed, check out our in-depth look from the April issue of Flying.

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BasicMed Finds First International Destination in the Bahamas - Flying Magazine

SHOWN (l-r) are Damian Blackburn, Chief ALIV Officer, Vashni Thompson, of Special Olympics Bahamas, Bianca Bethel Sawyer, ALIV Events, Sponsorship and Community Manager, Gilbert Williams, National Director Special Olympics Bahamas, Deron Forbes, 400m Specialist Special Olympics Bahamas, Diana Sands, ALIV Public Relations Manager and Johnny Ingle, Chief ALIV Champion

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

SPECIAL Olympics Bahamas has partnered with Aliv to enhance the development of its initiatives to better prepare the athletes to represent the country on the international stage.

Both organisations officially announced the partnership during a press conference yesterday and the $45,000 three-year sponsorship moving forward.

Gilbert Williams, national director of Special Olympics Bahamas, said the organisation will benefit exponentially from Alivs contribution.

This is indeed a very special moment for us at Special Olympics Bahamas. We have had a number of sponsors in the past and we will continue to seek out additional sponsors, but this is the first partnership since the programme officially came to the Bahamas in 1978.

Aliv is a new company but obviously theyre not prepared to take a backseat to anybody by being the first to take on this partnership, he said. Aliv is committed to the cause of Special Olympics Bahamas and we believe what we have here is a win-win situation.

Aliv wins because wherever we go we will carry the Aliv name with us, Special Olympics Bahamas wins because we have been looking for this type of funding to be able to create and innovate new programmes, the public wins because they now get to see what athletes with special needs can do. They will now get to know these athletes up close and personal. Athletes like Deron Forbes or Vashni Thompson, and that is our hope that our athletes become the face and the voice of Special Olympics Bahamas. Our athletes win because they will benefit from improved and expanding programming.

Special Olympics Bahamas is set to hold its annual Track and Field Nationals on Saturday (May 27) in the original Thomas A Robinson stadium. Athletes from Abaco, Eleuthera, Grand Bahama and New Providence are expected to compete.

Damian Blackburn, Chief ALIV Officer, said the sponsorship falls in line with his companys community-building efforts.

We believe in working with the community and have created programmes, and partnered with organisations directed at areas that will have the most sustainable and positive impact on the country. Undoubtedly, fostering an environment for people with special needs is important and the company is dedicated to helping advance the athletic pursuits for people of all ages and backgrounds. The importance of an organization such as Special Olympics Bahamas is fundamental to the growth of the country. I myself have assisted with Special Olympics committees throughout the region and was delighted when this opportunity presented itself here in The Bahamas. We at ALIV are extremely proud and happy to assist Special Olympics Bahamas with all their events, beginning as the title sponsor for the national track and field meet this Saturday. We will also be sponsoring Christmas events in Grand Bahama and Abaco later this year., he said, Special Olympics is a global organization, serving more than 4.2 million athletes in 170 nations, and it is right here, at the local level, where interested athletes, families, volunteers and supporters come together to promote health and fitness, change lives, and create communities of inclusion and acceptance. Our goal is to always meet and surpass expectations and we believe this partnership with Special Olympics Bahamas will allow us to do just that.

In 2015, 23 Bahamians competed in the Special Olympics World Summer Games. The contingent captured a total of 25 medals 11 gold, 10 silver and four bronze.

The Special Olympics has provided an opportunity for those with intellectual disabilities to showcase their talents in sports for 47 years. This year, more than 6,500 athletes from 165 countries competed in 25 Olympic-type sports.

As people, outside of our professional commitment have been deeply embedded in the empowerment of those less fortunate in ourselves. We believe in the power of sport and we all firmly believe that anyone involved in the Olympics everyone has the right to be a true Olympian and thats a fundamental concept, Johnny Ingle, Chief ALIV Champion, said, Nobody should be precluded from striving for the best, from having the support to be the best and to carry a medal.

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Special Olympics Bahamas Partners With Aliv - Bahamas Tribune

Step onto the white-sand beaches of the Exumasa chain of more than 365 tiny Bahamian islands and sleepy cays and you'll be struck with the feeling that you're the first to discover this remarkable corner of the planet.

Here it's iguana tails, not human footprints, that leave marks in the sand, and stumbling upon a gleaming pink conch shell the size of your head is as common as having a new shade of blue catch your eye each time you survey the surrounding waters.

But as your boat approaches Big Major Cay, you're awoken from this daydream by some rather boorish inhabitants: loud, snorting pigs paddling out to greet you like a jolly bunch of golden retrievers rushing to the door when their owner finally gets home from a long day of work.

The locals at Big Major's Pig Beachare transplants rather than native islanders, just like many of the people you'll meet in the area. And though they've clearly taken to their tropical digs and rising popularity spurred in part by a dramatic appearance on The Bachelorand more than a few well-liked Instagram posts the rewards of fame (read: free food) have come at a cost.

At least seven pigs were found dead in February, and while many reports speculated booze-wielding tourists did them in, government officials blamed sand ingestion after receiving autopsy results.

Since human visitors have become a fixture on the island, the pigs have mostly abandoned foraging in the forest in favor ofeating the food that's thrown to them from boats and on the shore. Swallowing sand amidst the feeding frenzies, coupled with a dry January that depleted their already limited supply of fresh drinking water, was likely the true cause of death, a Humane Society inspector told National Geographic. Healthy pigs have been brought in to replace their fallen comrades, and the friendly sunbathers are still splashing their way onto the bucket lists of animal-loving travelers everywhere.

Here's what we learned on a recent visit, including how to get there, what to expect, where to stay, and, of course, how to responsibly interact with the animals.

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Everything you want to know about swimming with pigs in the Bahamas - Travel+Leisure

MANCHESTER, N.H.

Coast Guard officials on Thursday night suspended the search for survivors from a plane piloted by a New Hampshire man that vanished in the Bermuda Triangle.

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The plane lost contact Monday about 40 miles east of the Bahamas.

A Coast Guard helicopter crew on Tuesday located a fuel sheen and a debris field 15 miles east of Eleuthera, Bahamas.

The helicopter crew lowered a rescue swimmer, who retrieved some of the debris. The Coast Guard said recovered debris matches the style of the aircraft.

Nahan Ulrich, 52, of Lee, was the pilot of the plane carrying New York City businesswoman Jennifer Blumin and her two young sons when the plane disappeared.

The Coast Guard suspended the search at 8:45 p.m. Thursday.

"This was a swift and significant loss and its impact has reverberated through everyone that participated in the search," said Christopher Eddy, search and rescue mission coordinator. "Our hearts and prayers go out to all of the families involved."

The U.S. Air Force, Customs and Border Patrol and the Royal Bahamas Defense Force also assisted with the search.

A National Transportation Safety Board accident investigator has been assigned to this case to determine the probable cause of this accident.

WEBVTT THE COAST GUARD SAYS IT IS NOTGIVING UP THE SEARCH FORSURVIVORS FROM A PLANE PILOTEDBY A NEW HAMPSHIRE MAN THATVANISHED IN THE BERMUDATRIANGLE.THE PLANE LOST CONTACT MONDAYABOUT 40 MILES EAST OF THEBAHAMAS.THE COAST GUARD SAYS THIS DEBRISIT RECOVERED MATCHES THE STYLEOF THE AIRCRAFT.52-YEAR-OLD NATHAN ULRICH, OFLEE, WAS FLYING NEW YORK CITYBUSINESS WOMAN, JENNIFER BLUMIN,AND HER TWO YOUNG SONS WHEN THE

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Search suspended for NH man, 3 others after plane vanishes over Bahamas - WMUR Manchester

New York Times

A Power Player and Her Sons Disappear Off the Bahamas New York Times Rescue workers on Wednesday continued to collect debris from an MU-2B aircraft that went down about 15 miles east of Eleuthera, the Bahamas, said Eric Woodall, a spokesman for the Coast Guard. The three passengers aboard the private plane were the ... Dad of two boys aboard missing plane near Bahamas says he's 'heartbroken'Fox News Search continues for NH man, 3 others after plane vanishes over BahamasWMUR Manchester Debris found in Bahamas matches missing plane carrying CEO and 2 kidsCBS News CNN -CBS Miami -New York Post -New York Daily News all 298 news articles »

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A Power Player and Her Sons Disappear Off the Bahamas - New York Times

Wall Street Journal (subscription)

Coast Guard Continues Search Near Bahamas for Missing Private Plane Wall Street Journal (subscription) The U.S. Coast Guard said late Wednesday it was continuing a search for survivors of a private plane that disappeared over the Bahamas with four people on board, including a New York woman and her two children. Air-traffic controllers in Miami lost ...

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Coast Guard Continues Search Near Bahamas for Missing Private Plane - Wall Street Journal (subscription)

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Updated: Thursday, May 18, 2017, 2:06 AM

The father of two young boys who were aboard a small plane that went missing near the Bahamas bared his pain as the hunt for the aircraft entered its third day.

I lost what I loved more than anything, James Ramsey told the Daily News on Wednesday.

I keep hoping its not real and Ill wake up. Wouldnt wish this pain on the worst person in the world.

Ramseys ex, Jennifer Blumin, and their two sons, ages 3 and 4, were traveling from Puerto Rico to Florida Monday when the twin-engine turboprop aircraft vanished from radar some 37 miles east of Eleuthera, Bahamas.

Debris found while hunting for plane that vanished near Bahamas

Also aboard the plane was Blumins pilot boyfriend Nathan Ulrich, 52, the ex-husband of actress Rae Dawn Chong.

The group was vacationing near the Puerto Rican town of Aguadilla.

The Coast Guard on Wednesday released a photo of debris believed to match the MU-2B model that Ulrich was piloting after discovering it a day earlier.

The image shows a piece of a plane seat and an engine intake plug, a safety device used when the plane is parked.

Skylight's the limit: Event spaces spur neighborhood growth, buzz

Were still working to find something with specifics identifying the plane, a Coast Guard spokesman said.

The Coast Guard recovered two plane seats and was working to collect more aircraft parts. No bodies or survivors have been found.

The Coast Guard cutter Bernard Webber and a Coast Guard C-130 from Air Station Clearwater, Fla., were leading the search. Through the night an EADS HC-144, a C-130 and an HH-60 helicopter were also involved in the hunt for the missing plane.

The rescue crews have searched more than 8,200 square miles, the Coast Guard said.

A National Transportation Safety Board accident investigator has been assigned to the case, officials said.

Blumin and Ramsey are well-known players in the citys events and design worlds.

Blumin, 40, is the CEO of Skylight Studios, a firm that transforms derelict New York City spots into dazzling event spaces.

Ramsey, 39, the CEO of RAADstudio, masterminded the planned Lower East Side underground park dubbed the Lowline.

They have two sons Phineas, 4, and Theodore, 3.

The heartbroken father posted a series of photos of his children and Blumin on his Facebook page.

In one of the photos, the two boys are seen sitting on Ramseys lap wearing matching navy bow ties.

I cant find the words, one of his friends wrote.

What awful, unthinkable, heartbreaking news, wrote another.

Ulrichs parents also released a statement.

We were devastated and shocked to learn that Nathan, Jennifer and her children have been missing since leaving from Puerto Rico on Monday, it read.

Nathan is our beloved son, brother and uncle and we wish for resolution as the Coast Guard search continues. Our prayers and thoughts are with the Blumin family and James Ramsey in this difficult time.

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Father of two young boys on missing plane near Bahamas loved them 'more than anything' - New York Daily News

The Coast Guard released a picture of the missing MU-2B plane, tail number N220N. Two adults and 2 children are on board. (Jet Photos)

The Coast Guard says it has discovered a debris field in the search for a Florida-bound plane carrying a mother and her two children, and another man.

Authorities say the debris field is about 15 miles east of Eleuthera, Bahamas, about 15 miles from where the plane disappeared.

On board are Nathan Ulrich, Jennifer Blumin and her two sons, ages 3 and 4. Blumin is from New York. The Coast Guard says Ulrich is from New Hampshire.

Miami Air Traffic Control notified the Coast Guard when the MU-2B plane lost radio contact and disappeared from radar Monday at 2 p.m. It was lost at 24,000 feet, at a speed of 300 knots.

The plane left Borinquen, Puerto Rico, Monday morning at 11, and was en route to Titusville where it was reported overdue.

Coast Guard crews and authorities from the Customs and Border Patrol and the Royal Bahamas Defense Force are taking part in the search.

According to the Associated Press, Blumin is the CEO of Skylight Group, which provides event space around New York City. AP says she owned the plane through a consulting company.

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Mother, children and plane missing in the Bahamas | WPEC - WPEC