Written by Vaughnique Toote / Nassau Guardian

The offiical results of Monday's General Election show that the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) won 29 seats in the House of Assembly and the Free National Movement (FNM) will occupy remaining nine. Parliamentary Commissioner Errol Bethel told reporters during a news conference Wednesday morning that officials from the Parliamentary Registration Department were still re-counting ballots up until 2 o'clock in the morning.

Therefore, it is still unclear just how many of the 172,000 people who registered to vote actually cast ballots. But Bethel estimates more than 80% of registered voters marked their 'X' on Monday and in last week's advance poll.

Written by Paul G. Turnquest / The Tribune

In an emotional address to the nation Monday night, former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham conceded defeat to the PLP and resigned as the head of the Free National Movement.

Thanking his supporters and the people of North Abaco for electing him to the House of Assembly for the eighth consecutive time, Mr Ingraham shocked the handful of FNM supporters gathered at the party's headquarters by announcing shortly before 10pm that he would not take his seat in Parliament and would instead return to private life.

Philip Edward Davis officially took the oath of office and received his instruments of appointment as the country's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Works and Urban Development May 9 in a ceremony presided over by Governor General Sir Arthur Foulkes. A large crowd of dignitaries, family and well-wishers witnessed the event held in the ballroom of Government House. They included Prime Minister The Rt. Hon. Perry Christie, Acting Secretary to the Cabinet Wendell Major and elected members of parliament.

In brief remarks Mr. Davis said he is grateful to be a part of a new direction that leads to opportunity for all Bahamians.

On Thursday, May 3, U.S. Chargé d'Affaires John Dinkelman and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs the Hon. Brent Symonette participated in an official signing ceremony at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to renew a Letter of Agreement to bolster joint cooperation for counternarcotics and law enforcement assistance as part of the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI).

The agreement provides the Bahamas Government with close to $2.5 million in funding to be used for a wide variety of public security and safety activities. Chargé Dinkelman highlighted that by signing this renewal, the funding will augment ongoing counternarcotics and law enforcement cooperation in the areas of interdiction, drug demand reduction, rehabilitation, and corrections modernization.

Cutting the ribbon to officially open the new Nassau Container Port at Arawak Cay are Mrs. Betty Mackey, widow of the late George Mackey and Godfrey 'Tippy' Lightbourne.

Also pictured at left: Michael Maura Jr., CEO Arawak Port Development; Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Hubert Ingraham (fourth from left) and James Mosko.

(BIS Photo/Peter Ramsay)

The U.S. Embassy Nassau is proud to co-sponsor two "International Trade and Financing Seminars" hosted by The Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation and the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce. The International Trade and Financing Seminars will be held at the Sheraton Nassau Resort on Cable Beach in Nassau May 22-23 and the Pelican Bay Resort at Lucaya in Freeport May 24-25.

The United States Embassy's Chargé d'Affaires John Dinkelman will be a featured speaker at the Nassau event on May 22 and Freeport the event on May 24. Miami-based Global Trade and Financing and Global Trade Insurance Broker, a registered broker for EX-IM Bank, will be the featured company at each event.

Rainy weather may have tainted the view of the scenic coastline, but it did not deter people from coming out and participating in the National Coastal Awareness Committee's first Fun, Run, Walk. The signature event on Saturday was the latest in a series of activities commemorating Coastal Awareness Month, which comes to a close Tuesday, and the tenth anniversary of the public-private coastal committee.

The NCAC plans to make the event an annual affair. The committee plans to hold a coastal walk in Andros later this summer along with additional activities for the remainder of the year. For more information, visit The Bahamas National Coastal Awareness Committee on Facebook and click "LIKE".

By 2020 it has been suggested that more people will visit the Bahamas for heritage tourism than for sea, sand and sun (and perhaps even gambling?). Since Grand Bahama was settled relatively recently it might be a good question to ask what heritage sites could Grand Bahama Island possibly exploit?

Well, actually the answer is that there are quite a lot. The following is a list of just some of the island's heritage attractions - many of them latent and presently unexploited:

This coming weekend the Freeport Rugby Club will once again be hosting a junior boys rugby team from the Cayman Islands. Last year's competition was a tremendous success with over 50 boys aged from 8yrs to 12 years old coming together to play hard but fair. New friendships were made and some rivalries were set up, setting the stage for an even more amazing weekend this time.

To add to the fun and competition this year, there will also be a team from Bermuda to compete for the title of Junior Rugby Champions.

I always knew it took a lot of work in Florida to make our puppylifts work ... but after my recent trip I have a renewed appreciation for what our awesome Florida supporters and volunteers do. We work pretty hard on this end organizing and getting dozens of dogs and pups ready to travel ... but we usually have at least several days in which to do so. When the dogs arrive in Florida, time is of the essence in many cases, to get them to their next destination while also giving them at least a quick walk, cuddle, drink of water, maybe a little food, clean their crate ... it is hectic to say the least!

In the first two days of my visit, I was up before dawn to walk, water/feed, and transport with the help of good friends Heike Dose and Jacqueline Scott. I made seven trips to the airport in two days ... during bad weather and with half a million extra people on the roads in Ft. Lauderdale for the Air and Sea Show! It was crazy but so rewarding.

The magic is returning at the Port Lucaya Marketplace (PLM) as several new restaurants and retail businesses are scheduled to open in a few months. Owners, directors and management of Bourbon Street Limited (Port Lucaya Marketplace) are pleased to announce that with the anticipated opening of four new restaurants, the Marketplace will turn your dining experience into a cornucopia of delectable delicacies.

The Marketplace eagerly awaits the opening of Molly Malone's, an Irish inspired restaurant that has proprietor Yvonne Morris drawing on her Irish roots. The second new eatery and entertainment attraction is Bateman's Big Easy Daiquiri Bar and Restaurant Café which will transform patrons to New Orleans as the Mardi Gras concept will engulf your senses.

A group of less fortunate children in Cat Island now have access to the latest in high-speed internet technology thanks to the generosity of BTC and the company's employee volunteer program called ivolunteer. Just recently a team of BTC executives and employees visited the home in Old Bight to witness the company's charitable initiative at work.

The Cat Island visit is the first in a series of volunteer programs by BTC employees. The ivolunteer initiative seeks to establish and develop a sense of pride in the community while engendering teamwork among colleagues. This initial donation amounted to more than $15,000 with a total ongoing pledge of $100,000 from the company.

The 15th Model United Nations Sessions (MUNS) was held on April 27, 2012 at the Wyndham Crystal Palace, Cable Beach. Co-sponsored by the Rotary Club of The Bahamas and The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, MUNS annually brings together high school students from around the country, and sometimes from the Turks and Caicos Islands, in a forum to simulate the United Nations General Assembly.

The objective of the event is to educate students about current events, topics in international relations, diplomacy and the functions of the United Nations. This year's topics were: "Euro Crisis: Regional or International Financial Reform" during the morning session and, "Democracy in the Middle East: Challenge and Course", during the evening session.

BTC is scheduled to officially activate 4G services in Bimini and The Berry Islands May 9th, unleashing faster speeds on all wireless devices and making it possible for customers to tap into better services and more entertainment on their mobile devices. According to Jerome Sawyer, Senior Manager for Public Relations, bringing 4G to the northern islands will boost business and visitor satisfaction as well as aiding education.

"Travelers won't have to worry about sluggish download speeds, long buffering periods when streaming audio or being chained to a Wi-Fi network when video chatting during their beach vacation or fishing trip," said Sawyer.

Enjoy a wonderful evening in a beautiful setting ... while supporting art and our youth. "Art of Warriors" is a unique showcase of tremendously talented young artists from Bishop Michael Eldon School, both in the primary and secondary departments. "Art of Warriors" - scheduled for May 19, 2012, 7pm, at the Canal House of Pelican Bay Hotel - will showcase the artistic talents of BMES students from Nursery through Grade 12.

All artwork will be featured in a special booklet and the originals will be auctioned during the "Art of Warriors" evening. Students with winning entries (judged by special guest artists) will receive fantastic prizes and proceeds of the event will benefit the school and its students.

Experience the creativity of designers from five island nations, presenting their creations in swimwear, resort wear, sports and casual wear - all haute couture. The sights and atmosphere will be electric and stunning.

Thursday, 10th May: Toast to Fashion Welcome Reception, Hillside House, Cumberland Street at 8pm - $20 Admission.
Friday, 11th May: Designers Runway Showcase, Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort, West Bay St. - $75 (VIP Seating), $40 (General Admission).
Saturday, 12th May: Award Presentation and Closing Reception, Blu Restaurant Bar Lounge, Bay & Elizabeth at 7pm (VIP Dinner - $100) and 9pm (Reception only - $40).

Jazz pianist, Steve Koven of The Steve Koven Trio will be performing on Grand Bahama Island for one night only to support the Grand Bahama Performing Arts Society on Friday, May 25th at 8pm at the Canal House, Pelican Bay Hotel. Although Steve Koven will be traveling solo, he will joined on stage by local musicians, Ozzie Hall, Patrick Russell and Clarence Green.

Steve will also conduct an Improvisational Jazz workshop which will be held on Saturday, May 26th at 11am for all musicians ages 13 and up. Contact Gloria McGlone for details (373-2887 or 727-9198).

Bajan artist Sheena Rose has sent out a call for works for an artist collaborative show entitled "POP!" scheduled to open in October 2012. The show's theme showcases Pop Art in the Caribbean - what is current in each artist's culture and how they would, in turn, interpret that in mediums such as visual arts, fashion, photography, illustration, performance and so on.

Ten visual artists and five performance artists will be chosen for this show. Deadline for submission is May 31, 2012.