Cabinet Office has announced that an Official Funeral will be held for the Hon. Charles Maynard, former Member of Parliament and Cabinet Minister on Friday, August 24, 2012 at 11 a.m. at Christ Church Cathedral, George Street.

Mr. Maynard's body will be interred at Woodlawn Gardens on Soldier Road, following the service which is expected to be addressed by the Hon. Dr Hubert Minnis, Leader of the Official Opposition; former Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Hubert Ingraham; and Minister of National Security the Hon. Dr. Bernard Nottage.

Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Perry Christie urged administrators of the College of The Bahamas to ensure its programmes impact the continued development of the country, as the institution heads toward university status by 2015. He was addressing the ceremony for the renaming of the "A Block" at the College of The Bahamas to the Keva M. Bethel Building, the main administrative structure where she spent most of her time after joining the faculty there in 1975.

The ceremony was held at the Oakes Field campus on Friday, August 17, 2012. The programme highlighted the life and times of Dr. Bethel in songs by the Renaissance Singers, tributes by acting Minister of Education, Science and Technology the Hon. Dr. Bernard Nottage and her son, Edward Bethel.

On Friday, August 17, U.S. Chargé d'Affaires John Dinkelman, Major General Fran Mahon, the Director of Strategy, Policy & Plans, United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) and the Minister of State for National Security, The Hon. Keith Bell participated in the closing session of the "Countering Transnational Organized Crime Conference" at the British Colonial Hilton Hotel.

The five-day conference brought together 40 Bahamian government officials and representatives from USNORTHCOM to examine how transnational organized crime poses defense and security threats to the Caribbean, in particular The Bahamas, through illicit activities including drug trafficking, money laundering, arms trafficking, human smuggling and cyber crime.

Deputy Leader of the FNM, Loretta Butler Turner, praised the founding fathers of the FNM at a service commemorating the 20te anniversary of the FNM's first electoral victory on the 19 0f August 1992. Speaking at Tabernacle Independent Baptist Church in Freeport, Grand Bahama, on Sunday Mrs. Butler Turner told a large group of FNM supporters that:

"August 19th, 1992 was the beginning of an era of transformative, progressive governance. But the day, on which we first won office, was also the culmination of 25 years of struggle by so many, including those who sacrificed so much for our cause."

The outstanding achievements of 20 students have earned them scholarships to attend institutions abroad thanks to a partnership between the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, the Lyford Cay Foundation and the Central Bank of The Bahamas. Education Minister the Hon. Jerome Fitzgerald announced the recipients of the All Bahamas Merit Scholarship, Wednesday, describing them as "shining lights."

"Each of these students did exceptionally well in school, while doing community service, engaging in extra-curricular activities, participating in intellectual discussion on national issues and doing their part to bring awareness of some cause."

For 11 months every year, youngsters with autism and their families take it an hour at a time, balancing demands of everyday life with the special needs of a child born with a condition that sets them apart, making them painfully sensitive to noise, lights or even the feeling of clothing on their bodies. For parents and siblings, the desire to nurture and help can be exhausting, patience stretched beyond imagination. For the child, often paralyzed by an inability to communicate, the world can be a lonely place.

But for one month every summer, thanks to a summer camp organized by REACH and since 2008, run in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, the world of autism is about freedom and joy and connecting. Stress, so intense it sometimes overwhelms, diminishes.

The establishment of the Medi-Centre Medical Plaza at the corner of Prince Charles Drive and Beatrice Avenue, is a wonderful example of what teamwork among Bahamians can accomplish, Minister of Health Dr. the Hon. Perry Gomez said. Dr. Gomez cautioned the principals of the medical practice to continue to expand their enterprise "based on addition and not division."

The Medical Plaza is expected to open its doors for business on September 1, 2012. The practice is a partnership between Bahamian doctors Nicholas Fox, James Johnson and Christopher Basden. Dr. Derwin Munroe, a dentist, and his team will operate as a practice within a practice.

Six hundred job seekers from the Bain and Grant's Town area and surrounding communities filed through the doors of the Grants Town Wesley Church Hall over a four-hour period Wednesday for the first Bain and Grant's Town Urban Renewal Project Office's Job Creation Fair.

Eleven privately-owned companies participated in the Job Creation Fair including Frank Hanna Cleaning Company, the MailBoat Service, Commando Security Services Limited, Family Guardian Insurance, Bahamas Food Services, Tri-Point, Island Gas, Bay Street Garage, Travel Express, Game Galaxy and WEMCO Security Services.

Governor General Sir Arthur and Lady Foulkes got a first hand view of progress on the $3.5 billion Baha Mar resort and casino underway at Cable Beach during a tour on Wednesday, August 22.

Baha Mar is the largest single-phase resort development in the history of the Caribbean. The 1,000-acre resort, gaming and entertainment complex is slated to open in late 2014. It will include some of the world's most famous hotel brands - Mondrian, Rosewood and Grand Hyatt. It will also mark the resurgence of The Bahamian Riviera as the paramount destination for sophisticated international travellers.

Husband and wife team Bruce and Maura Chee-a-Tow are one of several business owners in Grand Bahama now exploring new ways to improve operations following an official visit by Financial Services Minister Ryan Pinder to their Island Bedding warehouse. "We've been in business for nine years and it's the first time anyone [in government] has ever come to see us," said Mr. Chee-a-Tow. "This is fantastic because he wants to help us continue making people happy, which is all we want to do."

The Chee-a-Tow's are Grand Bahama's only bedding manufacturer, with a 100 percent Bahamian owned warehouse in Freeport's bonded area. With six full-time employees, the Chee-a-Tow's have not been without their challenges in current economic conditions.

This last week has been busy beyond belief at the Humane Society of Grand Bahama. Herein a couple of random vignettes that still can't possibly convey what our days are like but may give a little idea.

Yori was picked up last week by our field officer who spotted her tied up in the bush, in the course of responding to a different call. Her teenage "owner" was rude and belligerent and wouldn't answer any questions. Her ears were mutilated. Dr. Gibbs performed surgery to repair what as left of them best she could and discovered a rubber band wound tightly around a dangling piece of her left ear. Her supposition is that rubber bands may have been used on both ears to "crop" them. Which would have been an extremely painful thing for any dog or puppy to experience.

On Saturday, August 11th, members of the Rotaract Club of Freeport conducted a clean-up at Silver Point Beach (immediately east of Island Seas Resort), where they picked up several bags of garbage over a few hours.

A few years ago, the Rotaract Club of Freeport decided to unofficially adopt this portion of Silver Point Beach, which is a popular location for locals to have parties, to be cleaned up a few times a year. The fact that numerous bags of garbage are picked up each trip is evidence that littering on one of this island's greatest resources it still a major problem.

Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Senator The Hon. Z.C. Allyson Maynard Gibson in her first official visit to Grand Bahama August 16 made it clear that her team was in Grand Bahama to carry out the Prime Minister's mandate on the war on crime. She said the mandate details that there be the most relentless and sustained assault on crime ever in The Bahamas.

The Minister said one of her ministry's main focus is that of swift justice, explaining that "swift justice is really an administrative tool where all of the stakeholders in the administration of justice meet on a regular basis to make sure that cases actually do go through the system on time and in a swift and effective and efficient manner."

Many of the names of the roads in Freeport follow the theme of explorers, adventurers and pioneers.

The duo of Scot and Admundsen, the explorers of the South Pole for instance, left their names to roads in the East sections of Freeport. Admundsen, a Norwegian you may recall beat out Scott to the South Pole in 1911-1912. This was largely because he relied on skis and dogs for transportation.

But what about the less well-known streets in Freeport such as Whymper Lane. Who the heck was Whymper?

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Works and Urban Development the Hon. Philip Davis said, on August 21, 2012, that Sir Sidney Poitier's remarkable achievements in the motion picture business and in literature are a testament to what can be accomplished by a person brave and principled enough to follow the mantra "work hard, study, be excellent, be honest".

"Sir Sidney has enhanced the cultural life of his two states of citizenship- the United States of America and the Commonwealth of The Bahamas," Deputy Prime Minister Davis said, at a dinner honouring the Oscar-winner, in Los Angeles, California.

The National Coastal Awareness Committee is passionate about its mission. And keeping the Bahamas clean, green and pristine is a cause to which they are ardently dedicated.

Joined by corporate supporters, volunteers, local government representatives and a goodly amount of youngsters, they descended on beaches on Great Harbour Cay in the Berry Islands last weekend (August 18 -19) with the zeal of a crusader. And when they left they carted away piles of debris that were washed ashore or left by careless picnickers. There were plastic items, oil containers, iron products, 55-gallon drums, ropes, nylon lines.

They may arrive by boat or arrive by plane, however, once here, your guests will need some form of transportation at some time during your wedding weekend. One of your ultimate goals is to have your wedding be the talk of the town in a good way. Taking care of all aspects inclusive of transportation will definitely make your guest comfortable, feel welcome and will make your wedding one to remember.

For those out-of-town visitors, make sure you have their itinerary at least three weeks before their arrival date. If you are seeking assistance with transport from other family members make sure the flight information is confirmed on all ends well in advance. Forgotten family or last minute airport pickups will only upset your attendees from the start A simple excel document can be created to gather information in an orderly manner that will help you with airport pickups and transportation dilemmas. Pen to paper or fingers to a keyboard has solved many a problem by allowing you to see clearly the areas of concern and organise accordingly.

The Blue Ribbon panel has been appointed to review and select submissions in the high school, college and open categories for the upcoming 'FLIFF On Location: Grand Bahama Island', to be held at the Pelican Bay Hotel, Lucaya, October 25th through 28th, 2012. In addition to independent and studio films made around the world, movies produced in the islands of the Bahamas, as well as those made by Bahamian filmmakers, will be featured prominently at the festival, now in its second year.

The five distinguished panelists all reside in Grand Bahama:

As many around the world are still recognising The Bahamas in terms of athletics Prime Minister and Minister of Finance the Rt. Hon. Perry Christie and Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Dr. the Hon. Danny Johnson took time out to laud the efforts of some of The Bahamas' youngest cultural ambassadors - the Bahamas National Children's Choir - on their recent bronze-level win at the 11th China International Chorus Festival and International Federation of Choral Music World Choral Summit, in Beijing, the People's Republic of China.

"I was returning to The Bahamas and when I walked into the area for the Bahamasair flight, I met the Children's Choir and they sang a song for me," Prime Minister Christie said, with a smile, at a recent interview at the House of Assembly. "They surrounded me and sang a song for me and told me that they had won the bronze."

January 2011 saw the final year that The Bahamas' most prestigious awards ceremony in the tourism industry was to be held annually. It had been decided that it would become bi-annual, with the next event being held January 2013. The date has been set for January 27th, 2013, and with the event being less than 5 months away, the deadline for award nominations is fast approaching.

The final day to submit nominations is Friday, August 31, 2012.

The 11Eleven Project is an incredible fusion of art and life, bringing people together for peace and compassion. The project shows the challenges, thrills and joys experienced by all of humanity in the same day. On 11th of the 11th 2011, the 11Eleven Project invited the entire human population to submit footage, audio, text and photographic material capturing a day in the life of their world. The event resulted in one of the biggest collaborative art events in history.

Submissions were received from 179 countries showcasing a variety of human experiences. These various materials will be used as the ingredients of a feature length documentary film, which will premiere at multiple locations around the world with free-to-attend, global screenings on November 11, 2012 (11/11/12).

On Saturday, September 1st 2012, the Grand Bahama Sailing Club will hold the 1st Annual Junior Sailing Festival in Crabbin Bay, Grand Bahama, which - for those of you who may be wondering - is just outside of McClean's Town. The festival organizers would like to have a cycling event finish at the festival and have asked the Grand Bahama Cyclist Club join in their festivities. As such, the perfect opportunity for Race 5 in the GBCC Points Series is created.

More details will follow in the days leading up to the event, however, the race will start at the Casuarina Bridge for those competing in Cat 1 and wishing to take on the longer distance. However, there will of course be more than one start point. The ultimate start points is the Casaurina Bridge as already mentioned. The next start point is the Lucayan National Park and the final start point is Stat Oil, which is about 20 miles from the finish point. The race will begin at 9:00am and we will all depart from the bridge at this time.

Hundreds lined the streets of New Providence August 18 to see and touch the winners of the men's 4 x 400 metres London Olympics gold medal during a Float Parade which started at the Thomas A. Robinson Stadium, on to Tonique Williams-Darling Highway, Blue Hill Road, Bay Street, Mackey Street, Wulff Road and ended at Junkanoo Beach, Long Wharf on West Bay Street, where a massive crowd gathered for an autograph session.

(BIS Photo gallery / Patrick Hanna)

Fifty years ago, in the early 1960s, Murray Forde was young, single, and wide-eyed when the world's fastest cars took to a track close to the Oakes Field bachelor pad where he lived. He walked to the action of Nassau Speed Week, heard the roar of racing engines, was dazzled by the beauty of the sleek machines. Awestruck, the 22-year-old was hooked for life.

A half century later in 2011, now a father, grandfather, respected banker, Rotarian, antique car buff and serious collector, Forde was back at the track when Bahamas Speed Week Revival burst onto the scene after a 46-year hiatus. This time, he was wearing the bright orange uniform of a marshal, handling radio contact with other marshals, keeping the track, drivers and spectators safe.

The Bahamas' 4 x 400 metre Olympic gold medal winners were presented with new Blackberries by major sponsor Bahamas Telephone Company, August 17, during a visit to the company's Thompson Boulevard headquarters.

Pictured from left: Ramon Miller, Demetrius Pinder, Sports Minister Dr. Danny Johnson, Tellis Symonette, BTC's Sr. VP Commercial & Family Islands; Chris Brown and Michael Matthieu.

Dear Editor:

The issue of political victimization in the Bahamian society is a grim one - which every political party that ruled The Bahamas is guilty of. Healing and resolution will only come when the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), Free National Movement (FNM), and the United Bahamian Party (UBP) principals admit to being associated with it.

Continuous denials will only sow seeds of distrust among the masses, because he who feels it knows it. Nasty political divisions run deep in our country; and political victimization is the main reason for it - in my view.