Radio Abaco News

May 2000 Table of Contents

RADIO ABACO NEWS

Visitor Flown Out: Winter resident Robert Caldecott, 60, was airlifted to Canada after suffering a stroke on 21st March. He was initially treated at Marsh Harbour Clinic before being flown out on an air ambulance to London, Ontario.

Visitors Rescued: Three young visitors operating out of Casuarina Point capsized a speeboat off Little Harbour. Building construction workers saw the accident and swam out to rescue them. The boat was later washed to shore.

Sandy Point Bonefish Lodge: There's a new 10-room bonefish lodge in Sandy Point called Rickmon Lodge, owned by Ricardo Burrows and his wife Monique. Mr Burrows said he got the idea for the lodge from visiting sport fishermen who told him what they expected from a bonefish lodge. Financial assistance was provided by the Bahamas Development Bank. The lodge, which also caters to Abaco residents, opened on the weekend of 25th March with a group of ten fishermen from Seattle, WA. One of them, Rick Myers, commented on the friendliness of the local people. "After we had settled in we took a walk through the town," Mr Myers said. "It was so easy to talk to the people. And we caught fish! It was a great day." Rates are $110 a night or $2,200 per person per week.

Successful Fair: St Francis de Sales Primary School held their annual fair on 25th March and according to Principal Laura Davies it was the school's best fair ever. The main attraction was the 4-door 2000 Daiwoo which was first prize in the raffle. Winner was Dennis Dorsey of Great Guana Cay.

Treasure Cay Fire: Fire engines raced from Marsh Harbour and Dundas Town on 27th March to fight a bush fire in the Madeira Park area of Treasure Cay. Several residences were endangered. Rev Stafford Symonette of Full Gospel Church said the time had come for Treasure Cay to have its own fire engine and he would getting the process under way. Later that night torrential rains solved the immediate problem.

A Sad Day... It was a sad day in central Abaco on 28th March when a popular police officer and one of Marsh Harbour's most respected businessmen both passed away. Sgt Vincent Darville died at his home in Dundas Town at about 1 am from an apparent heart attack. His wife Pastor Eleanor Darville was with him. Van Stratton died at his home at 9.45 am following a short illness. Mr Stratton ran a realty business, a dry cleaning company and an insurance agency. He was also a justice of the peace and had served on the local board of works and town planning committee for many years. An avid sailor, Mr Stratton was a leading organiser of boating events in Marsh Harbour. He will be deeply missed by all on Abaco.

We'll Be Ready Next Time... Residents of Sandy Point are trying to ensure that the next hurricane to strike the community will not put them in as much danger as they faced in Hurricane Floyd. Shelters in the township had to be abandoned as flood waters rose and in the end most people were cramped in the upper storey of Oeisha Resort. The foundation of a hurricane shelter two miles out of town on high land has been started and now funds are being raised to complete the building. Leading the drive are Arthur Lightbourne, Dwight Pinder and Jesse Bain. Fish fries are held every Sunday on the beach near Oeisha's starting at 2 pm.

Fire in Pigeon Pea: Shortly after noon on Friday 31st March a fire broke out in the Haitian community of Pigeon Pea. It left over 100 people homeless after 20 houses burned down and another seven were left unliveable. Fire fighters from Marsh Harbour Volunteer Fire Department were unable to get close to the fire due to the buildings in the area being so close together. Firemen had to walk on roofs to train their hoses properly. The fire was fought for two hours before being brought under control. On Monday 3rd April the president of the Bahamas Christian Council, Dr Simeon Hall, visited the site of the fire with Ross Davis, Bishop Henfield and Rev Carlton Dorsette. They made a plea to the Prime Minister to assist those in need. "Sometimes we do not do enough to accommodate the stranger in our midst - We need immediate action," said a visibly moved Dr Hall. Meanwhile, Abaco was responding. Food coupons were issued to the displaced families and arrangements were made to house the homeless at Dundas Town Public School. $10,000 would be needed to provide amenities for the buildings. It was likely the school would be used by the homeless for as long as a year. The owner of the 3.95 acres of property now known as Pigeon Pea, Mr Ricky Albury, served notice on the residents that they had to vacate the property by 31st August. Haitian Consul Joseph Etienne paid a visit on 12th April to the scene of the fire and announced that there was much educational work to be done for the community members, especially in the area of bank loans and mortgages. Two truckloads of clothing, shoes and basic items arrived from the Grand Bahama Red Cross through the Crown Haven route. Social workers from the North Abaco district assisted.

New Island Engineer: Melanie Roach of the Ministry of Works introduced the new civil engineer for the island, John Schaefer, to dignitaries and council members on 3rd April. Mr Schaefer will work closely with Mr Ed Laroda.

Two Youths Die: Church services in Coopers Town and Fire Road were abandoned on 16th April when news that the bodies of two young men had been found in a car at 10.30 that morning. Dead were Kiko Murray and Carlos Sands. The roof of their car had to be removed before the bodies could be freed. Murray and Sands had last been seen in Crown Haven earlier that morning. Their vehicle was heading from Little Abaco towards Coopers Town when the accident occurred. It is speculated that the car became airborne as there were no tracks into the bush where their car was found many hours after the accident.

Suicide? The body of 43 year old Demille Gideon was found face down on the Treasure Cay Farm road on 16th April. His wrists had been slashed and it was reported that a Gillette razor blade was found nearby. Suicide? Maybe not, say the police.

Get Rid of That Stuff: Ambassador for the Environment His Excellency the Honourable Doctor Earl Deveaux addressed an enhancement of product seminar for small hotel operators on 18th April at Abaco Beach Hotel sponsored by the Ministry of Tourism and the Out Island Promotion Board. He noted that Abaco was the most successful island for small hotels due to its ambience and friendly population, particularly in Man-O-War, Green Turtle Cay and Elbow Cay. He warned, however, that Abaco must work hard to keep its position. The biggest challenge to tourism was the manegement of waste disposal, especially in the smaller cays. "Government can help... but it must be in your heart to dispose of garbage properly."

Earth Day: Residents of Elbow Cay celebrated Earth Day once again with a demonstration on how to turn everyday waste into soil by composting. As Suzanne Bethel said, "We must use what is on the island. We must not throw plastic into the water." Ambassador Deveaux was in attendance and said that he was impressed. "Hope Town has a lot to offer other communities through concern for reef restoration and the ecology of the environment. We should recycle and re-use on a case by case, person by person basis."

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