RADIO ABACO NEWS

September 2000 Table of Contents

RADIO ABACO NEWS

Methodists Present Keys: Sunday 23rd July was a very special day for 83 year old Loletia Sawyer of Dundas Town. Following a special service at St Andrews Methodist Church she was presented with the keys to her new two bedroom house. During the services, Guest Preacher Dr Reginald Eldon spoke on the theme Working Without the Materials on Site and told the congregation they should be determined in the face of adversity. "If you wait for perfect conditions you will never get anything done," he said. He also noted that Bahamians had the tendency to sit back and wait for someone else to do the work instead of digging in and helping themselves. A happy Loletia Sawyer, a Methodist all her life, had watched the progress of the house and thanked all those who had assisted. "I give the glory to God. I can't bless them like He can." She particularly singled out Delgano Newbold. "Delgano was like my son, not my son in law."

School Plans Approved: Plans to expand Long Bay School in Dundas Town were approved on 31st July. The expansion will include a swimming pool, basketball court, classrooms, a teachers' lounge, lunchroom and bathrooms. When the additions are completed by the end of October the Junior students will have a separate instruction area from the Seniors.

Fire Relief in Sandy Point: The community of Sandy Point held a dinner sale on 1st August to help provide clothing for four adults and four children who lost everything in a fire the previous Saturday evening. The house, right in the middle of Sandy Point, belonged to John Meeres and was totally destroyed. On 2nd August the Department of Social Services also visited Sandy Point with clothing and other help items. The homeless people are being cared for by relatives.

Repairing the Ruins: Repairs to the Abaco Central High School administration block are under way after fire caused considerable damage on two separate occasions in June and July. The repairs will not be completed before the new school starts so the school's computer room will be used by the administration staff until the repairs are effected. The administration black is being redesigned as well as repaired. The repairs are being done by Cubell Davis Jr and Keys Electric. Deputy Permanent Secretary Bruce Walker of the Ministry of Education and Training and District Superintendant Jackson McIntosh inspected progress on the building on 17th August.

Bail Reduced: Bail was reduced for five men charged with the theft of safes in the Central Abaco area. Their attorneys had appealed to the Supreme Court about the severity of the bail which was established by Island Administrator Everette Hart and upheld by Magistrate Rengin Johnson. The five men were released from custody on sureties.

Poor Crawfish Season So Far: Eleven days into the new crawfish season, fishermen from all over the island were complaining about poor catches. This was particularly true for day fishermen as opposed to those who fished other than Abaco waters in large boats. If the season continues in this way the economy of several settlements will be affected. It was reported that Hurricane Floyd changed habitats and the shoals and reefs were virtually deserted. A Sandy Point fishermen said he paid $67 for fuel one day and only caught 6 lbs of crawfish tails, which are being bought for $8 a pound. Last year's island-wide catch of crawfish was 5 million.

New Air Line: Permission has been granted for Golden Air Line out of Fort Lauderdale to serve Marsh Harbour and Treasure Cay with one flight a day excepting Tuesdays. Flights started on 16th August and provide both passenger and freight services.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Visits: Deputy Commissioner of Police John Rolle paid a three day official visit to Abaco from 14th to 16th August. He met first with Island Administrator Everette Hart then spoke with police officers and police reserves separately. He took time out to speak with Radio Abaco on 15th August when he made it public that a division of CID was to be located in Central Abaco. DCP Rolle said the Royal Bahamas Police Force was implementing the recommendations of CDR International. "Instead of reacting to and solving crime cases we will be proactive and act to prevent crime from happening." DCP Rolle visited Hope Town on 16th August before returning to Nassau.

Marsh Harbour Town Meeting: The Marsh Harbour/Spring City Town Committee held its annual town meeting on 15th August. Among the matters discussed was the need for proper zoning to separate business and residential areas, and the poor garbage collection record. About half of the public in attendance were from Pigeon Pea. They were told they could not receive assurance that the 31st August eviction notices would be extended to a later date.

Man Stabbed in Marsh Harbour: Paul Williams of Dundas Town was discovered in the grounds of The Ranch, Marsh Harbour, at sunrise on 19th August suffering from stab wounds to the abdomen. He was conscious at the time. Williams had last been seen at The Ranch between the hours of 2 and 3 earlier that morning. Williams was treated then taken by Trauma One to the airport and airlifted to Nassau. A man is being held in connection with the stabbing.

Miss Abaco Becomes Miss World Bahamas: Latia Bowe as Miss Abaco won the title of Miss World Bahamas after training for nine months with Pepper Johnson in Nassau. The lovely Latia, who is the daughter of Grace Knowles and a graduate of Abaco Central High School, leaves for London on 5th November to participate in the Miss World pageant. "I hope Abaco will be represented at every pageant in the future," Latia told Radio Abaco.

Dig It and Fill It - Fast! Island Administrator Everette Hart and the Central Abaco Council met with local heads of government corporations to alleviate the problem of road digging and shorten the time it takes to repair the roads. It was suggested that the lack of hot mix materials often delayed repairs. The corporation heads were asked to cooperate with Ed Laroda, Area Engineer, so the public would not be unduly inconvenienced. Central Council spent over $11,000 last year to repair streets.

Vagrants Cause Concern: Some half a dozen homeless men, both black and white, are using vacant buildings to sleep in on Front Street, to the consternation of nearby residents. One of the buildings being occupied belongs to John Bull Ltd. Since the arrival of these vagrants several items have gone missing, including outboard engines.

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