Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) by the Bahamas National Trust (BNT) is expected to designate half of the 100,000 square miles of Bahamian territory. This conclusion was determined by the Government after the Prince Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation launched and implemented a coral reef research expedition, involving nine Bahamian scientists. The information revealed that Bahamian coral reefs are threatened with extinction, due to overfishing and climate change conditions.

"We don't anticipate any new legislation as a result of the research that was conducted' said Minister of the Environment, the Hon. Earl Deveaux at a March 3 Press meeting in the Adonis Room, Atlantis Conference Centre. "What we expect will happen is that it will inform and amplify our completed legislative work.

By all accounts the late Francis Alexander Garraway was a man well ahead of his time. The consummate professional land surveyor, Mr. Garraway's resourcefulness, creativity and insatiable desire for knowledge will be memorialized through a special endowment established in his name at The College of The Bahamas.

In a lasting tribute to his memory and legacy, Mr. Garraway's family recently gave a generous $100,000 gift to The College of The Bahamas to establish the Francis Alexander Garraway Memorial Endowment. The endowment will fund scholarships in perpetuity for undergraduate engineering students at The College.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources kicked off this year's all-Bahamas Agribusiness Expo with a three-day food fair in New Providence last weekend. The Expo moves next to Eleuthera's Bay Front Park in Governor's Harbour on March 8 and to North Andros' Nicholls Town Auditorium on March 9.

The New Providence fair showcased a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, meats, processed foods and handicraft made in The Bahamas. It also brought together farmers, processors, wholesalers, retailers and householders from throughout the island.

As part of The College of The Bahamas' and the Bureau of Women's Affair's inaugural symposium commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Women's Suffrage Movement in The Bahamas, United States Chargé d'Affaires John Dinkelman presented the Honorable Janet Bostwick with a special plaque on March 6 in recognition of her pioneering work over the last four decades in advancing women's rights in The Bahamas.

The presentation distinguished Mrs. Bostwick as the U.S. Embassy's 2012 International Woman of Courage; the U.S. State Department's highest award for female leaders.

Out of the most horrific human atrocities emerge stories of courage, faith and hope. Holocaust survivor Rena Finder's inspirational story is one of those, epitomizing the power of the human spirit. One of the last Holocaust survivors employed by Oskar Schindler during World War II, she will share her compelling story on Thursday, March 22 at the Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort. Because corporate sponsors stepped in to cover all costs, the event is open to the public free of charge.

The 7-time Academy Award winning film "Schindler's List," which immortalized stories such as Finder's will be screened from 2pm - 5:15pm followed by her moving talk at 6:30pm.

Today, in support of breast cancer awareness, the iconic pink ribbon is seen everywhere. And thanks to the courage of survivors, The Cancer Society of the Bahamas, Sister Sister Breast Cancer Support Group, and thousands of others locally and internationally, awareness of breast cancer can be called an inspiring success.

Ports International continues to make a difference, especially in support of Breast Cancer by providing healthcare workers with pink gloves. The pink gloves are a very visible way to remind women (and men) that breast cancer is still touching lives and that early detection and prevention is still key.

Natalie Hernandez is a truly extraordinary young woman. In February 2012, Natalie visited Phnom Pehn, Cambodia as a volunteer student educator for Operation Smile, an international medical charity that has provided more than 2 million patient evaluations and over 200,000 free surgeries for children and young adults born with cleft lips, cleft palates and other facial deformities around the world.

A Year 12 student at St Andrew's School, Natalie spent months collecting donations to take along on her trip, and she was able to collect over 200 stuffed animals and toothbrushes as well as over $600 from her fellow St Andrew's students!

The Rotary Club of East Nassau announced that it will partner with the Antique Auto Club of the Bahamas in its 25th Anniversary Auto Show and Cook-Out on Saturday, March 17. Adam Darville, Rotary President stated " This was an obvious choice of an event to support. The Antique Auto Club has supported Rotary events in the past, in particular the Bed Races, and the Show is about raising funds for Community Service, the same thing that we [Rotary] do. Plus we will be bringing something new to the Auto Show that has not been done before."

The Rotary Club will be running a "mini carnival" with games, popcorn, cotton candy and ice cream, the games primarily for the children, who are asked to bring their parents with them.

In 38 days, we'll be in Governor's Harbour, Eleuthera for Ride for Hope 7! If you have not registered, be sure to do so by March 14. The registration fee will increase from $75 to $100 on March 15.

In partnership with its Yellow Jersey sponsor, Bahamas Ferries, Ride for Hope has chartered the Bo Hengy II for participants wishing to make a daytrip for The Ride. Bahamas Ferries is offering a $99 daytrip ($69 for children 2-11 years old) from Nassau to Eleuthera on Saturday, April 14, exclusively for Ride for Hope participants.

Can we really teach our children to dispose of waste properly, reduce, reuse, and recycle items? Is there some way we can leverage young minds to influence those who have been dumping, littering and carelessly disposing of waste on our roadsides, in our blue holes, and in our open waters for years? For those of us that have faith that our young people are up for this task the answer is easy, and teaching our children how to be responsible for their environment must begin now.

We are very lucky on Grand Bahama that we have leaders in our schools, our community and in our local government who are dedicated to the mission of educating our children on the importance of keeping the island clean. On Wednesday March 01, 2012 over 40 3rd grade students from B.M.E.S. got a first hand look at how they can start incorporating reducing, reusing and recycling into their daily lives.

The 27th Annual Humane Society of Grand Bahama Dog Show was a howling success! Thanks to over 75 dogs and more than 300 people who took part, Mother Nature also cooperated by providing perfect weather. The White Elephant Tent Sale provided shopping bonanzas, the kids enjoyed pony rides, face painting and hoopla games; everyone enjoyed the grilled delicacies, from beef to chicken to fish to hotdogs, and the candy/baked goods; but the stars of the day were the amazing dogs of many different breeds!

It is always a pleasure to see so many happy, well-cared for dogs in one place. From two pounds to 150 pounds, all the dogs got along and were happy to be there. We only wish there could be blue ribbons for all; this year's contestants were a stellar bunch. Guest Judge Susan Taylor of Toronto had a very difficult task.

The Rotary Club of Lucaya's SECME and AIM educational programs are producing results for the GB community. SECME is an alliance of 50 School Districts, 37 Major Engineering Universities, in 15 States, the District of Columbia and the Bahamas.

Once again our SECME Mousetrap Car/Bottle Rocket teams have made us proud. After finishing first in both the SECME Junior and Senior divisions in 2008, and first and third in 2009, the 2010 Junior and Senior teams from BME High School placed second and third!

Despite the wet and windy conditions on Sunday, former GB Chamber President and FNM East Grand Bahama Candidate Peter Turnquest visited Deep Water Cay Resort to meet with the island's management and staff. The resort has undergone over 10 million dollars in refurbishing and expanding the original bonefishing lodge. It has been at maximum occupancy over the last few weeks and the owners are currently building more resort rooms to increase their capacity.

"Deep Water Cay is a beautiful resort and management and staff are working hard to expand their product," said Turnquest.

Former ZNS news presenter Pakesia Edgecombe and FNM candidate for West Grand Bahama and Bimini is proud to support International Women's Day.

Candidate Edgecombe plans to attend a local event focused on women's issues. "I want to encourage all Bahamian women to show their support for women worldwide by taking part in the local initiative "Join me on the Bridge, " launched by Lynette McInness, which will take place at the Garden of the Groves, at 5:30pm on Thursday, March 8th."

Edgecombe is quick to point out though that for some women worldwide, their situation is far from satisfactory and she calls for all women to continue to fight to improve our place in society - together!

When we decided we wanted to do a modern seafood restaurant concept there was one thing I knew for sure. I would have fresh oysters on the menu. I love oysters. The sweet saltiness of fresh oyster brine is one of the great flavour experiences in life. Here at Flying Fish we currently use my favourite oyster, Malpaques as the oyster of choice on the menu.

Malpaques grow in the cold waters of the Northumberland Straight at the mouth of the St. Lawrence river in a little area known as Malpaque Bay on the shores of Prince Edward Island in Canada. The cold water seems to really sweeten these beauties like no other. I also am a fan of smaller sized oysters so they can be enjoyed easily in one bite.

Sixty-year-old Abaco resident Samuel 'Will' Bethel lay on the operating table undergoing major surgery and it became quickly apparent that in order to get him through, surgeons were going to require immense amounts of blood. After 30 years in Marsh Harbour, he and his wife Kimberley no longer had a large pool of friends and family members in the capital to call on to donate blood and so his daughter Bianca and his brother-in-law hit the streets. Literally.

The Doctors Hospital Blood Bank collected 20 units that day as a result of the extra effort, but despite the heartwarming good will of strangers, 'Will' still required additional transfusions and so Doctors Hospital Blood Bank Supervisor Zonja Bain made a suggestion. She told his wife that if they would drum up the hometown support, she would organize a team to fly into Abaco the next morning and hold a blood drive.

In a ceremony without great fanfare but with great expectations for the results, BTC executives will cut the ribbon and open the door of the company's latest achievement -- a bustling location in Treasure Cay, Abaco, that will open March 22 following a major overhaul, emerging larger and with a sophisticated, bright new look and feel. The Abaco store is the latest in a string of rebuilds and re-openings that are redefining the retail footprint of BTC, converting often outdated bill payment and service centres into cheerful, interactive spaces with a slew of products and plans available for experiment and instant connection.

Like others that came before and those following close behind, Treasure Cay's interior will be defined by its artwork, a wall-length mural depicting a Treasure Cay beach scene with two of the island's best-known living features -- the wild horses of Abaco and the colourful Abaco parrot.

The Bahama Islands were one of several countries of the former British Empire which underwent a major, but quiet political revolution in the second half of the twentieth century. Though largely unnoticed by the world, in 1973 the island nation was rapidly catapulted from the status of colony to that of a sovereign and independent nation. The old British ensign with the Bahamas coat of arms in the fly was replaced by a new tricolour flag which now flutters in the trade winds. Its colours intended to represent, black for a strong people, turquoise for the sea and gold for the sun.

Since the new flag has been unfurled, the Commonwealth of the Bahamas demonstrated, in contradiction to naysayers, that it has a vigorous democracy and is well able to stand on its own feet.

Get ready Grand Bahama ... comedy is back! The Grand Bahama Performing Arts Society (GBPAS) presents its 4th Annual Comedy Show on Saturday, March 17th at the Regency Theatre at 8pm. For the past three years, GBPAS has had you howling with laughter, providing a hilarious comedic show with every year funnier than the one before. This year there's a new twist, as they are delighted to present an improv show starring "The Dumigod Players" from Canada.

Improvisational Theatre, or 'Improv" is a form of performance art in which actors use improvisational acting techniques to perform spontaneously, typically using audience suggestions to contribute to the content and direction of the performance.

Absolut Vodka, the NAGB & The D'Aguilar Art Foundation announce a call for local artists to participate in one of the most unique, fun and exciting art shows of the year: 'Absolut Vodka: Local Art Ambition' which will showcase three pieces by each artist:

Hundreds filed into the Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort Ballroom for the Inaugural Red Dress Soiree held on March 3, 2012, which raised thousands for the Bahamas AIDS Foundation and their work with adolescents affected by and infected with HIV AIDS. Presented by Primadona and The Bahamas AIDS Foundation, the three part event - runway show, cocktail reception and silent auction featured ten of The Bahamas' trailblazing women who showcased original designs by ten Bahamian fashion designers.

"It was an exceptional event which brought us out of our usual zones into something special and unique," stated Leading Lady JoAnn Callender who wore an off-the-shoulder gown designed by Sabrina Francis.

Artist Angelika Siska started to teach art classes in the beautiful surroundings of the Garden of the Groves in 2009. She found groups of interested students of all ages from 14 to their late seventies.

Concerning education, lifestyle experience and artistic skills these groups could not have been of a vaster range. As a consequence, out of these differences, the results vary to a great degree in their individual outcome, which is as interesting as can be expected.

Hey kids, want to WIN tickets to see PIPPA at the Regency Theatre?

GREAT - then click below to print out a special colouring page. Colour it your best then hand in the completed picture to Miss Katey's, located in #5 Kashea's Mini Mall, West Atlanctic Drive, open Monday through Saturday 9am-6pm. We'll be contacting winners by March 21st!

We hope to see you at this fun musical ... PIPPA!

Sandals Royal Bahamian is in the process of acquiring memorabilia of the February 1965 visit of the legendary rock band, The Beatles, to the Bahamas. On March 1st Sandals Royal Bahamian welcomed its first guest into its newly refurbished Manor Building now renamed the Balmoral Tower. The name change harkens back to a time when the block of rooms were part of the Balmoral Club, a property famed for hosting the crème-de-la-crème of 1940's society.

The Balmoral Club is also famed for hosting British Royalty of another kind. In 1965, The Beatles embarked on filming their second feature film, "Help!"

Twenty-one artisans in Eleuthera have graduated from Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation's (BAIC) new Texture Painting Course. It marked another milestone for BAIC as it continues to open Bahamians to opportunities in the multi-million dollar craft and souvenir industry.

A major push to promote Bahamian handicraft internationally is the construction of a Bahamas Virtual Platform which will allow artisans to do business online. The project is being financed by BAIC and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), through the IDB Group's Multilateral Investment Fund. Other partners are the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and the Bahamas National Craft Association.

More than 100 invited competitors swarmed the Mall at Marathon Saturday for the first casting call of BTC Starmaker Season 3, hoping to wow the judges and earn a chance to go through to The Bahamas' version of Hollywood, the next round of Starmaker and a place among the first group of finalists in this year's popular Starmaker series.

At stake was a $10,000 one-year contract as a spokesperson for BTC, prizes, travel and national fame. Outside in the centre of the mall, contestants sang, clapped, crowds rallied round. It was loosen up and warm-up time. Inside the quiet room where the cameras rolled and the judges fought boredom, you could feel the jitters with the opening and closing of every door.

In memoriam: Dr. Keva Bethel

A sad note about the passing in February 2011 of Dr Keva Bethel (former principal of the College of the Bahamas), just over one year ago. It was doubly sad because her brother, the first Bahamian Anglican Bishop of the Bahamas, died just a week before.

I first met Keva in 1960. With Michael Craton and a few others we used to 'hang out' on the beach on Hog Island every Sunday. In fact we both learned to water ski there.

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GBPA & HCA

Re: The GBPA has to go

Regarding the mad rush to seize control of something that represents an Agreement between two parties. Any dismemberment will signal to others that the Bahamas is not a creditable country to enter into long term agreements with. I have been here since 1955 and watched the growth - THIS COULD HAVE BEEN DONE ANYWHERE IN THE BAHAMAS - HOWEVER THE IMMIGRATION POLICY THAT ALLOWED FOR GROWTH IS GONE NOW.

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