September 2002 Table of Contents

RADIO ABACO NEWS

Grounds Improved: For three years the children of Central Abaco Primary School have had no playground and no landscaping. This summer work started with Abaco Home & Gardening tilling, adding fill and installing irrigation systems. Large trees will be planted facing the parking lot.

Golf Carts on Highway? The topic of conversation in early August was whether golf carts should be allowed on the highway. The instructions from Road Traffic in Nassau declared that they should not be used as regular vehicular traffic and the local administrators should after the matter locally. Were golf carts to be banned on public roads this would seriously affect the lifestyles of people in Treasure Cay and the offshore cays.

Dundas Town Fire: Fire broke out on 5th August in a rear bedroom of a duplex in Dundas Town belonging to Wayne Cornish. Members of the Marsh Harbour Volunteer Fire Department were quickly on the scene even though this was Emancipation Day, a public holiday. Fortunately the duplex had been built with a fire wall dividing the two apartments so that damage was limited to clothing and personal items on the affected side.

Regatta Loses Money: Last year’s All-Abaco Challenge regatta was a huge success. The four days of sailing and festivities came at a high price, however. $163,000 to be exact. After the accounting was done the Regatta Committee found itself $20,000 short. Steak outs were held and as of 7th August $8,300 was outstanding. Senior Island Administrator Everette Hart said the outlook was bleak. The incidents of 11th September 2001 had affected the economy of the island far more than he had anticipated. A major sponsor had withdrawn and several other major sponsors, including Treasure Cay Limited, would regretfully have to reduce their contribution. "We will have to look at the Regatta differently," said Mr Hart. The budget for the 2002 Regatta will be $150,000.

RBC Adopts Sybil’s House: The staff of the Marsh Harbour branch of Royal Bank of Canada have adopted the seniors’ home Sybil’s House in Dundas Town. They will provide comforts both material, social and spiritual for the five elderly people who live there and started with a visit on 7th August during which nine members of the RBC staff read the bible and sang hymns with the residents. The Marsh Harbour branch of RBC has been operating for 13 years.

Drying Off Time: A week after Central Abaco Chief Counsellor Mike Malone suggested a year’s moratorium on new liquor licences the Licensing Board led by Colyn Rees turned down two liquor licence applications.

BEC Employee Killed: Between 11.30 and midnight on 8th August a traffic accident on the bend north of Treasure Cay Airport took the life of Donald Sawyer, a Bahamas Electricity Corporation employee. The truck Sawyer was driving hit a utility pole and turned over several times. Debris was spread for 900 feet and Sawyer’s body was thrown 50 feet from the truck. Sawyer was on his way to begin his shift at the Treasure Cay power plant.

Teenager Airlifted: At about 11.30 pm on 8th August sixteen year old Benjamin Wolsey received a 220v shock and burns to 30% of his body as he attempted to attach a battery charger to a golf cart on Green Turtle Cay. He was evacuated from Treasure Cay Airport by Medivac to Jacksonville Burn Center and it was later learned that he lost two toes.

Drainage Pool: Residents of Crockett Drive were somewhat bemused when a hundred foot long, four foot deep crater was made opposite M & R Food Store by construction workers on the new port site and road. It was explained that the crater was a drainage pool necessary to drain the new road. Residents considered the pool an eyesore, a danger to young children and a possible breeding ground for mosquitoes. Complaints to local authorities were made and it was claimed that the drainage pool was in the original plans for the new port and therefore local authority permission was not required. Work on the drainage pool was halted temporarily.

Soccer Trucks Crash: Two trucks carrying soccer players from a game at Norman Castle, near Treasure Cay, on 18th August at about 7.50 pm, bumped as one tried to overtake the other on the S C Bootle Highway and both trucks flipped, scattering the players and some supporters onto the road and through the bush. Trauma One was soon on the scene and a triage system was set up at the Marsh Harbour Community Clinic to deal with the most injured first. Eleven people suffered broken limbs and three victims were sent to Dr Binard at Blue Ridge Clinic. Six were flown out on two separate emergency flights, including one man who appeared to be paralysed and in very poor condition.

September 2002 Table of Contents