Read more - Protect The Sharks

THE FREEPORT NEWS, Saturday, January 17, 2009
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International Customs
Day to be celebrated
(From Page 1)
emphasis on Customs Officers collecting the relevant
customs duties and that is the
pivotal role that they play in
society.
In addition to the collection
of the revenue, Bodie said
that they are also responsible
for its protection.
This year, they are celebrating the 20th Anniversary of
International Customs Day
and Bodie said that for the
first time their most recent
retirees will also be honoured.
The events will end in
March, but begin with a
church service at New Hope
Methodist Church on January
25.
For the week of January 26,
customs officials will be a
part of a local radio talk show
where listeners will have an
opportunity to voice their
concerns.
On January 28, Customs
officers will visit various
high schools on the island to
share information regarding
customs’ procedures.
There the customs officers
plan to dispel the myth that
they are more than just
“bag checkers.” Grade 1
officer Jay Willams said
that it is important for students to learn that they are
collectors and protectors of
the revenue which adds significant income for the
country.
“A baggage examination is
just one of the ways we determine what should be cleared
and we want to express this
to the public,” said Williams.
The forum schedule for
January 29 will include customs brokers and importers
DONATION TO ELDERLY – The Kiwanis Club of Eight Mile Rock made a courtesy call on
two homes for the elderly in Freeport this week. They are Burrows Home for the Aged
and Central Home For The Elderly. The Club wanted to give food supplies in honour of
John Rolle, Past President of Kiwanis Club of Eight Mile Rock. Pictured during the presentation from left are: JR. Frazer, Delvin Beckles, Ireen Burrows-owner of Burrows
Home for the Aged, Roscoe Kemp President Kiwanis Club of Eight Mile Rock; Arthur
Spencer.
Second documentary on sharks
being filmed in Grand Bahama
PUBLIC FORUM — Larry Bodie, senior customs officer
announced that a public forum will take place on January
29 at Christ the King Hall as a part of the activities for
Dutch film-maker and proInternational Customs Day.
ducer
Geert Droppers was
(Photo by JENNEVA RUSSELL)
at Christ the King Hall at 6
p.m.
On February 13, the
Department will hold a special luncheon for senior citizens at St. Mary Magdalene
Parish Hall at 11 a.m.
There will also be a Fun
Run Walk at the National
Insurance Building to Ranfurly Circus and back on
February 28.
The Customs Department
will then close out their activities with a staff family fun
day on March 14.
Bodie said that the Customs
Department is required to
play a key role in protecting
the vast borders of the coun-
try and encourage the full
support of the community in
their efforts.
Those that will be recognized for their 40 years of
service are: Superintendent
Anthony Newton, Chief
Customs officer Clifton
Seymour and Chief Customs
Guard, Benjamin Pinder.
Douglas Ewing, retired
Chief Customs officer and
Henrietta Rolle, retired
Senior Cashier will also be
honoured.
World Customs Organization began in 1947 when
representatives of 13 Europeans Governments ca-me
together.
Bus drivers speak out
(From Page 1)
everybody. He said drivers, not a particular
driver, but drivers and I take that to mean
everybody and not everybody does that,” said
Nottage.
“I just want to clear the air that it is not
every bus driver doing this stuff.”
The union president added that it would
only be fair to have the elderly and disabled
persons present some form of identification
that would assist in eliminating any misunderstanding related to rates and fares.
Nottage explained that he does not condone
that kind of behaviour and said that if he
found any driver overcharging, he would turn
them over to the proper authorities to be dealt
with.
According to the Minister of Transport, senior citizens and disabled persons should only
pay 50 cents to ride the public bus.
One such person, senior citizen Veronica
Clarke, said she has asked individual drivers
on several occasions what the fare was for
senior citizens, and each time was told she
had to pay $1.25.
Sands advised persons who may have had a
similar experience to Clarke’s to make a note
of the bus number.
“We would advise the public to make a formal complaint and provide the bus number
and we can deal with that driver. The consequence or penalty depends, we put it before
the court or the tribunal and it is up to them,”
he explained.
Sands also said the Department has provided handouts of the rate amendments to all bus
drivers.
“They are aware, they have this document
and if they are found doing that we will levy
a penalty upon them. Their licence can be
suspended,” he said.
“They are aware of penalties, but sometimes
they do these things because it’s money, not
people, as far as some of them are concerned,
so that’s why it’s important that we get these
complaints and then we will deal with them.”
MP proposes several projects to
benefit residents of Marco City
(From Page 2)
Mr. Henry Duncombe, who
will be providing technical
support for the program,” he
said.“... And people being
able to display their sweet
peppers, tomatoes and things
that can be very expensive if
we have to go out and shop
for them. So this program can
really take a bite out of that
portion of their expenses.”
The other two programs
focused more on the elderly
and handicapped residents of
the community.
Laing said these programs
are designed to enhance the
standard of living for the disabled and elderly in his constituency.
“We are also launching our
elderly and disabled roof
repair program because there
are a number of elderly and
disabled persons whose roofs
are compromised with leaks
etc. and so to the extent that
their repairs do not exceed
$2,500 per project, we are
able by validating through
Social Services their needs
and by validating the cost of
their repairs to the Public
Works Department, we are
able to provide them that
assistance,” he said.
“We also have a discount
card program. We are going
to issue ID cards to seniors
60 and over and disabled persons in the community so
they can go to participating
shops and get a discount with
each purchase.”
That program is set to begin
February 1, 2009.
“We’ve been able to invite a
number of companies to participate in this program and
they’ve responded positively,” he said adding that, “we
are grateful to those companies for their assistance in
this venture.”
These programs, Laing
explained, represent “very
real effort” in times such as
now.
He noted that they are just
fulfilments of commitments
he made to his constituents
before being elected.
“I was working on this for
little over a year now. It was
a lot of hard work, but it has
really paid off,” he said.
Noting that the elderly are
often forgotten, the Marco
City MP announced late last
year that he intends to meet
with senior citizens within
his constituency to hear their
concerns.
Laing said he does not want
to make the mistake of ignoring the seniors, who he
described as “pillars of
strength” in the community
and has designated some
$10,000 for a community
project, which will be chosen
by the seniors of Marco City.
back in Grand Bahama last
week to film a second documentary about sharks, and
this time he employed the
help of local students to
demonstrate just how beautiful the largely misunderstood
animal is.
Droppers had previously
filmed his award-winning
documentary “Gimme A
Hug” in Grand Bahama, with
Cristina Zenato, a UNEXSO
diving supervisor and dive
instructor who is recognized
as a shark dive professional.
It is a short film aimed at
creating awareness and a
better understanding of
sharks. It is being distributed
worldwide and has already
received outstanding reviews at film festivals in
Europe.
Droppers’ aim is to present
the viewer with a more genuine picture of an animal
that, naturally, must be handled with care and respect,
but which is certainly not the
monstrous killing-machine
that so many people believe it
to be.
This year Geert returned to
UNEXSO to dive with
Zenato and show the beauty
of the local Caribbean reef
sharks. He is also further
developing “Gimme a Hug”
for release in Asia.
The new educational film
will highlight that there is no
need for the mass slaughter
of sharks for their fins in an
area of the world where shark
fin soup is a delicacy.
Droppers’ group was joined
by twelfth grade Marine
Science students from St.
Georges
High
School,
together with their teacher
Andy Loveitt.
They were interviewed and
then participated in a shark
feed under the watchful eye
of Zenato and Loveitt.
As a result of the students’
participation, the Protect the
Shark Foundation, a Dutch
non-governmental organiza-
tion founded by Droppers,
wants to produce a film for
the people of The Bahamas
showing how living sharks
can be used as a valuable
resource to create tourist revenue for our islands.
The Foundation will return
to UNEXSO in the near
future and has asked St.
Georges High Head Girl and
Marine Science student
Jillian Russell to narrate the
film and promote it to students around the island to
raise awareness among the
nation’s youth.
It will then be promoted to
the wider Bahamian public in
general.
PLP pays homage to life
of outstanding stalwart
(From Page 1)
of the leaders of our country
who made a distinctive difference in our providence
and gave us something to
fight for,” Wilchcombe said,
adding that is what the political party is all about.
“ We have a lot of work to
do. Every time I think about
it, I know we have to try to
stand in their shoes because
they have strong principals
and believed in what they
stood for”, he said.
McKenzie was 80 years
old and died after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Funeral service for
McKenzie will be held
today
at
St.
Mary
Magdalene Church at 11
a.m in West End where Rev.
Father Stephen Grant will
officiate.
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Under the direction of the Simulation Cenre Director, the incumbent will be responsible for
the coordination of activities pertaining to the administration and operational aspects of the
Simulation Centre. The successful candidate must possess the following minimum requirements:
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or a related field.
• Previous experience in clinical care and education is perferred.
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To apply, please submit your résumé to:
Alyvonnetta Levarity
HR Administrator
Ross University (Bahamas) Limited
Seahorse Shopping Plaza
P.O. Box F 60087
Freeport, Grand Bahama
The Bahamas
Or Email: Alevarity@RossUedu
8
THE FREEPORT NEWS, Monday, January 19, 2009
FINAL CHECK – Andrew Johnson, Jillian Russell and
Whitney Bain, students of St Georges High are pictured
on-board the Explorer 1 checking their gear before their
shark dive as instructor Andy Loveitt looks on.
PHOTO ESSAY
St. Georges High Students
Featured In Documentary
On Sharks Filmed In GB
FIRST-HAND LESSON – Twelfth Grade Marine Science
students from St. Georges High School are pictured getting an up close first-hand lesson in shark anatomy from
instructor Andy Loveitt and instrutor Cristana Zenato
which will be featured in a documtary by Geert Droppers
founder of Protect the Sharks Foundation.
Public Notice
The Passport Office, Grand Bahama
wishes to advise the general publice
that effective 1 January 2009, only
applications fo the New E-Passports
will be accepted.
The public is further advised that all
applicants must appear in person to be
enrolled at the Passport Office
EDUCATIONAL TRIP – Twelfth Grade Marine Science students from St. Georges High School are featured in a
dicumentary about protecting sharks filmed In Grand
Bahama recently by Dutch film-maker and producer Geert
Droppers, founder of Protect the Sharks Foundation and
UNEXSO. Pictured from left are dive instructor Christina
Zenato, Whitney Bain, Andrew Johnson, Jillian Russell
Astarcia Knowles, Tamar Pinder, Droppers and Andy
Loveitt, instructor.
(Photos by JENNEVA RUSSELL)
INSTRUCTIONS – Twelfth Grade Marine Science students
from St. Georges High School together with their teacher
Andy Loveitt are pictured at UNEXSO receiving last
minute instructions from local shark expert Christina
Zenato and film maker Geert Droppers before their dive.